Ashita
by makoed
Summary: The villages were gone during the old war, now only the five towers remain. Naruto walks a path fated by birth, and others can only watch the end coming. ItaNaru. AU.
1. The sitting sun

Disclaimer – I don't own anything in Naruto. And I hate repeating this over and over so this will be for this whole story

* * *

Chapter 1: "Sitting sun"

* * *

He inhaled slowly, trying to keep much of the smoke as possible and gagged when the taste became too much. Then hacking and coughing, tried to hide his face as much as he could under the upturned collar of the brown second hand jacket he was wearing.

"So I'm not a pro at smoking like Shikamaru huh… shouldn't have tried that hard." He inhaled the smoke as he usually does and exhaled it slowly, watching as the smoke was blown up by the heated wind. "Damn this... how long will it take to get him out? I hate waiting. And I need to scram before any of those things come out."

He looked around before walking across the busy street to the street across him and ambled into a deserted alleyway. He walked till a wall came up, making a dead end. After looking around again to make sure there were no witnesses he was gone.

* * *

Hitoshima Akira growled as the boy struggled again, he looked around hoping to see his partner but was disappointed to see only he curious and scared faces of the people in the streets.

"_Damn that woman. Excuses… Excuses…. Always some shit coming up. And this time it just had to be that the kid reminded her of her own damn brat and that he couldn't do it. So 'me', the insensitive and hardened man had to get this kid to the safe point by myself. Damn woman! I hope none of those rebels turn up here."_ He looked around and hoped to god that those freaks didn't come to get the kid.

"_Why do I have to go through the streets again? Oh yeah... it was the woman's idea; saying that they won't come to get the kid when there are witnesses around. Crazy woman." _

He tightened his grip on the kid, he regretted doing this; blindfolding and tying up his arms and then dragging him across the town like this. But if the kid didn't work for the wrong people he could have been saved. His superior was sure that this kid was a strong link to the leaders, but who knew anything anymore.

He sighed and looked up at the sky. _"It used to be blue; the sky looks as desperate as this whole world is. Dying the color of death." _he looked back at the kid when he struggled more.

"Stop it kid. I don't want to hurt you." he gave a few squeezes to the arm he was holding and he heard some growling and noises saying that the kid was trying to talk. "Whatever brat. Let's get going"

He looked around again to make sure there was no one suspicious before walking and dragging the kid with him. Hopefully he would get his mission done without any problems. But he knew that it was a stupid wish. The kid was important.

* * *

He watched as the guard dragged the boy along the street, the kid was putting up a struggle so maybe he won't be too harsh on him. He almost smiled at the foolishness of the guard; did he really think that they won't take the boy because of the witnesses? Their power had made them foolish.

He felt it inside him, the beast who wanted him to teach them a lesson. He knew that the beast was right; the foolish humans were so fickle. Thinking when they get power no one would oppose them. But there were like him, who were left in the sides and then taken as examples to show how much power can do.

He felt nothing anymore and he only respected those who had been true to him in the past. He would not let them down, for they were all he had now. He felt the beast laugh. **"No matter how much you grow you are still a human. You're most precious people, eh? I see you still think that way."**

He almost growled._ "Just because I want to repay them back doesn't mean I have given my trust to them, demon."_ But the thing was still laughing, mocking him. And he hated it, hated himself, and hated everything that had made him what he was.

He turned his eyes back to the struggling man in the streets; the boy had sat down and would not move. He smirked at the bravery of the boy, the same bravery that would get him killed_. "Such a shame it is, he had potential." _

* * *

Hitoshima knew there was someone in the area but he couldn't find him. And he knew by the strong aura he sensed that the one who was coming after the boy was no small fry. "So the boy is really that important to them huh… so you were right for once, supervisor."

He narrowed his eyes when the boy sat down; he was at the end of his patience. The kid would not move an inch without causing some sort of trouble. He took his small knife and held it to kid's neck without the people seeing it. He smiled in relief when the kid tensed and then slowly got up.

He knew that the other would see it, and internally sighed in relief when he felt the aura getting smaller. _"He went away. I don't want to fight in this condition. That woman is going to get it when I see her again."_

He only saw it coming a second before the attack came and he didn't have any time to even get a good hold of the kid so the boy won't escape. He saw a black leg coming up and then he was flying.

The people screamed and ran when the body of the guard came flying to them. Some of them had started taking out guns. He didn't know whether they were from the rebellion side or the 'government' side. And he didn't care, all he had to do was get the boy and run.

He did growl when he saw the kid was taken up by some men and were trying to drag him to the building across them, probably a government office. He didn't have to do much, they were all small fry, he wondered where the powerful ones had gone to, and did they think that no one would come to get the boy?

He grabbed a hold of the fallen boy and hauled him up. He cut off the binds of his hands and gave the knife to the kid. He looked around the chaos, trying to spot the enemies. They had to get away soon. He saw the kid when he took off the bag on his head and saw the widening of his eyes and the surprised shout that came with it.

He didn't think the kid would be stupid to shout his name in the middle of the street. And he didn't have time to react when an attack and his shout came at the same time.

"Naruto nii-chan (big brother)!"

* * *

Konohamaru couldn't believe his eyes. His nii-chan was here, he was here to save him. He took a look around. There were people screaming and running, then there were gun shots fired at the moving brown blur in the midst of fighting two guards. He concentrated on his self; trying to feel that amazing spark that was his power.

He felt nothing and for a moment he was afraid that it had left him; found a new host when he remembered that they gave him that powder, the powder that the guard said would null his power for two or three hours. _"Damn it, it must only an hour at the most. The sky is still light gray, and they gave me the powder this morning."_

He looked back at the fighting, he wanted to help his brother, wanted to show him how much he had grown. It had been so long they had met and when he finally saw him after years it was when he was being rescued by him. He couldn't bear it; bear the shame of being helpless before the one he wanted to impress the most.

He tightened his hold on the knife and concentrated more on himself. "Please come out; I want to help him, I want to save nii-chan. I need you to do it, please, I beg of you. Give me power!"

And he felt nothing.

* * *

Naruto saw Konohamaru trying to get his power; he blocked the attack to his shin and gave a roundhouse kick to the guard when his partner came to him with a knife. He kept parrying and attacking, he didn't have a gun on himself.

"Konohamaru, take a gun and start shooting," he hoped the kid won't miss his aim.

"Eh?" Konohamaru's confused face confirmed his worst. "They didn't give you shooting lessons yet?"

"_What the hell are these people doing? How is the kid supposed to protect himself if I'm gone?" _He kicked away another guard before diving to a gun and tossing at the boy.

"The safety is off. Aim and shoot off some of them. I won't let them get to you so don't worry and just shoot."

Konohamaru looked at the gun. He had never had target practice; he was supposed to get them when he came back. _"I need to help Naruto nii-chan"_ He took the gun and aimed at a guard who was trying to get behind Naruto and pulled the trigger.

The shot went to the guards shoulder; he screamed and fell to knees while clutching his wounded shoulder. He looked around to Konohamaru and got up and started running towards the boy.

"Konohamaru! Shoot! Shoot! Hurry up!"

"_I need to help nii-chan. What am I doing? Why can't I shoot?_" he looked at the wounded man running at him with the gun aimed at him with the unharmed arm. He looked at him own hands, lying helplessly on his laps, shaking and clutching the gun.

He looked back at Naruto, trying to get away from the men surrounding him and come to him. _"I need to help nii-chan"_ He looked at the wounded man; he was aiming at him and had his finger on the trigger of the .99mm.

The shot rang off in the din of fighting but Naruto heard it. _"I don't want to fail this damn mission." _He looked back and was surprised to the body of the dead guard. Konohamaru was shaking. _"The kid is too naïve. As usual." _he fought off the guard in front of him and ran towards the boy.

The guards were close behind him but he knew they couldn't shoot him, not without Konohamaru near him. The boy was shaking badly when he pulled him to his feet but there was an insane grin on his face.

"Nii-chan, nii-chan. I killed someone!" the boy was babbling. Naruto knew he was in shock, but they were out of time. "Now I can fight for tomorrow too nii-chan." Naruto couldn't believe the stupidity of the boy when he heard it.

"Shut up Konohamaru!" he didn't mind about the hurt face of the kid. "You don't talk about that shit in front of enemies you idiot!" Konohamaru's eyes widened with recognition. And his face fell.

"Tomorrow? So they really knew about it? Call HQ and tell them now," one of the guards ran off while the others started attacking again.

Naruto was taking down the last of the guards when he felt it, felt that aura he desired and feared so much. He felt the excitement coming from inside him and knew that the Kyuubi was up and knew that if he didn't move soon he would never get out of here.

He looked back at Konohamaru; the boy was on his knees. He didn't know if the kid was just tired or something else but they needed to move, and soon.

"_**Why run away, Naruto?"**_ he almost tripped when he felt it, the tugging at his mind showing him things and trying to see his thoughts and …. Memories.

"_Kyuubi! Stop him now! Don't let him see it!"_ he was desperate. He didn't want that person to see them; his memories he had suppressed for so long. And he also knew that the Kyuubi won't help him. Not unless he was threatened as well_. "Please..."_

He felt rather than see the orange color cloud a part of his mind. The part where the foreign yet familiar tugging came from. He ran to Konohamaru and hauled him onto his shoulder. He ignored the protesting and kicking.

"_I don't want to face him. Not yet… not yet... Not when I'm this weak."_

He felt the Kyuubi laugh and knew that his time was running out.

* * *

"So? Did you get a connection?" the tall figure asked the one running alongside him and wasn't surprised when he got no reply. This was supposed to be their chance to get that important brat. But looking from the expression on his partner's face, they were too late.

"There's no need to pursue him. We can't catch up with him. Contact the government and tell them that we couldn't get the boy back."

The figure laughed, "But we had no interest in that brat. We only wanted the one who was going to rescue him. Leader is going to be disappointed."

And again he got no reply. He sighed, he should be used to silence but his partner had different kinds of silences. And this kind of silence always unnerved him. It meant that the other was plotting something, and his plans always got Kisame into the most disturbing situations.

"We are not in a hurry. We don't even need to go after him like this," the tall figure raised a brow when he heard it.

"What do you mean?" and he suppressed his shiver when he saw the shorter figure smirk.

"We have what that child is looking for, and sooner or later he will come looking for it. We'll check out their transport and head for the sitting sun, Kisame."

"Whatever, Itachi."

* * *

Sakura looked away from the window and chanced a glance at her companion in the car. The driver's seat was occupied by the handsome boy she had admired for so long. Uchiha Sasuke was next to her in a small closed up space. She was in the car with Sasuke-kun! It was a dream comes true for her!

"Ne Sasuke-kun, why don't we ditch pinky and go for a drink somewhere? I'm sure we could have a good time."

Except for that annoying fact she refused to acknowledge; that there was someone else in the car with them. A certain someone Sakura loathed, Karin.

"As if Sasuke-kun would go with a whore, Karin. Your dreams may go that way but not in reality, ne Sasuke-kun?" she smiled charmingly at the boy next to her and couldn't suppress her disappointment when he didn't even glance at her. He hadn't looked at her or Karin except when he was talking to them.

"Karin, do you sense anything?" The deep timbre of the voice always excited her, even when it wasn't directed at her. She glanced at the mirror and felt her anger rise at the blush on Karin's face.

"Gomen ne(Sorry) Sasuke-kun but I- ….Wait," Sakura turned around in her seat to look at Karin when she stopped and she saw Sasuke look at her through the mirror and tried hard to suppress her jealousy.

She almost blew up when Karin blushed and acted coquettishly at Sasuke when she saw him looking at her.

"So what?" she snapped and felt a warped sense of smugness when Karin glared at her.

"There's a huge aura coming closer, it's really weird." Karin's face was scrunched up as she concentrated on the approaching aura.

"What's different about it?" Sasuke's voice brought blushes to both girls' faces and then they both immediately glared at each other.

"It's not exactly human Sasuke-kun. There's something unnatural about it." Karin replied and gave a start when Sasuke started up the engine of the white corolla.

"Then that's him alright. Sakura get to the back seat. He's going to sit up front with me." Sakura opened her mouth to protest but immediately opened the door and got off when she saw Sasuke's glare.

Karin looked at her smugly when she opened the back door and got it. _"Damn that Naruto. Always causing problems even you're not even here." _She looked at Karin when she started talking and immediately looked at Sasuke when she heard what Karin had asked.

"What is this Naruto like Sasuke-kun? You didn't talk about him much. And all I've heard from other people are bits and pieces. He was on your team right?"

Sasuke's face was unreadable as always when he answered the question.

"I don't know him. And I never did."

At times like these, Sakura wished she could turn back time.

* * *

Naruto ran fast, he could hear guards running behind him but not close. And he could no longer feel the probing into his mind. He felt a sense of safety and he knew it was false. He couldn't trust anything, not even himself.

He ran towards the direction where he could sense some auras he knew and another one he had only felt and not known. He turned at an alleyway and put down Konohamaru.

"I can't carry you after this. This is the sitting sun district, you need to act like my little brother and we're here to get you stuff for school. Understand Konohamaru?"

He saw the kid nod and gave an internal sigh at the stubborn attitude.

"Konohamaru you don't need to help me every time okay?" the boy shifted and he continued. "It was my job to save you this time so you don't need to worry yourself. They probably gave you a nullifier right?" he saw a nod and then ruffled the brown hair. "Then it's okay Konohamaru." He smiled at the boy when he looked and was relieved when he got an answering smile.

"Sure thing Naruto nii-chan(big brother)"

That meant that his mask still worked perfectly, even after all these years. **"Still going to act, little human?**_**"**_ he refused to answer.

He turned and walked from the alleyway and felt Konohamaru follow him. They walked towards the white car parked on the side of the cracked and brown road. The city had gone to waste after the war. Everywhere in the world it was the same. Poverty and broken buildings were the common ground.

When Naruto put up his mask he wondered why he did it. Because at that time he didn't think it would mean anything.

* * *

Karin hoped when she got the mission and Sasuke's name as her partner that they would get some time alone. But then the pinky's name was added because she 'knew' Sasuke and the man they were going to get. She almost snorted while she waited in the car. 'Knew' him alright, they had a past and that was it.

She wondered why Sasuke wanted this 'Naruto' to sit in front. She looked at the girl sitting next to her and saw her looking out of the window. _"She seems to do that a lot. Maybe she knows why."_

"_But that aura is so weird. I have never felt anything like it before. Even the 'jinchuuriki' had a different aura. What in the world is this?"_ She concentrated harder.

"Anything else Karin?" she melted inside when she heard Sasuke address her. She saw Sakura scowl from the edge of her vision and smirked. Sakura was so useless.

"There is another aura Sasuke-kun, it looks like he's bringing a boy with him." She saw Sasuke nod and Sakura answered her unasked question.

"It's Konohamaru. Naruto was supposed to rescue him when he was being transferred."

"They're quite near now Sasuke-kun. We should be able to see them." Karin hoped Sasuke would look at her again. She heard Sakura gasp and looked at her.

"They're here."

* * *

"**So little human, you're going to act for the rest of your life? How amusing you are. Do you really think no one would suspect?"**

He hated it when the beast got curious, he had provide answers for all sorts of questions.

"**Nothing is personal when we're the same, little human"**

"We're not the same, demon," he ignored the prickly feeling he go when Kyuubi would probe at his mind. He won't find anything that he doesn't know already.

"**You're meeting the little Uchiha right? The one you called your brother?"** he grit his teeth. The demon was doing it on purpose, trying to make him remember.

"Yes" He saw three figures in the car. The back seat was occupied with two women and the driver's seat was where the aura he didn't want to meet was. He looked at Konohamaru and gestured towards the car. The boy nodded his head and started towards it.

Naruto looked around and made sure that there weren't any enemies. The whole road was desolate except for stragglers. The sitting sun district was one of the most successful and powerful cities, and for that the city was hit hard during the war. It was now full of dust and garbage and homeless people; just like every other city in the world.

The sun was going down and painted the street in gold and orange. He remembered loving the color orange; he wanted the brightness for himself. He could not remember the feeling of it anymore.

He started to cross the street when he felt a prickling sensation on the back of him mind and Kyuubi stirring. He started walking faster, putting up mind blocks and suppressing Kyuubi while he neared the car.

He saw Konohamaru get in to the back seat and was relieved that mission was complete. He had opened the car door when he decided to look back. There were two figures on the top of the building nearest to the street across from him. And he didn't need to use his senses to know who they were.

He got in the car and Sasuke started to drive. He looked back at the figures of black and enhanced his eyes to look at one particular figure. He saw the glowing red eyes under the straw hat and the black bangs shift in the wind. He looked away when he saw the mouth twitch up to form a smirk.

_Itachi…_

* * *

A/N - I hope I can finish this story before the semester ends.. Please review or add an alert.. Thanks..


	2. I don't want to be alone

Summary - When we lost everything, tomorrow became just a hope. Now the chance to get it back had come, but the question is.. will we be able to? ...

Pairings - Main- ItaNaru, KakaIru and ShikaTema, GaaNeji...others will be mentioned since they're not decided yet.

* * *

Day 2 – I don't want to be alone..

* * *

The desolated land was not much of a beautiful scenery. The brown deserted land, abandoned houses and mansions that were in the city limits were a contradiction to what it was 10 years ago. The greenery was gone, the huge buildings that showed wealth and power had vanished, the bustling crowds and shop stands were destroyed. All that was left was this; A barren no man's land. People had sought out the security and needs that were given from the 'towers'. The five great towers were the last stand of humans against the experiments that had run wild. There were cities that still lived, but they were so scarce that they had come to be known as the oases in the deserts.

"_So much for the power of humans"_ the blond man in the passenger seat closed his eyes. The occasional deep rumbling from the corner of his mind told him that the demon was sleeping. And he wondered why he felt lonely.

The car ride was mostly silent except for the girls in the back questioning Konohamaru about what happened. Naruto wondered whether they will be surprised, especially Sakura, to hear that he did this mission alone. After all they remembered him to be the 'dobe' of the team and first impressions always gets stuck in the minds.

He looked at the girl from Sasuke's latest team, Team Taka(eagle), from the rear view mirror. From what he had been briefed about the team's abilities she was their sensor and a pretty good one. He caught her eyeing the Uchiha often and didn't need to think twice.

"Hey, who are you again?", Naruto almost sighed at the question. _"Here we go"_

"My name is Naruto." He guessed from the irked expression that she had been expecting a lot more than that, he mentally snorted at the shallowness of the girl.

"I know what your name is; I meant who you are, as in what is your connection to all of this." Karin wanted to give the man a piece of her punch but she didn't think it will bode well with Sasuke.

"I'm the agent assigned to the mission to rescue Sarutobi Konohamaru, who got caught during his team's mission to infiltrating the trading joint #35 in Black river crescent."

Karin didn't know what surprised her, whether it was the detached tone he was using or how huge the difference of his present personality was from the one he was described by the others. But she didn't get to contemplate much of this.

"Why are you starting to act like Sasuke-kun Naruto-baka(idiot). Stop that, it's annoying." The condensing words from his ex-teammate didn't seem to reach Naruto. Sakura fumed silently.

She looked at the blond man , the same man who had promised a lot to them and then had disappeared from all of their worlds, and now sitting in front of her like he had been there all the time. He infuriated her, and she didn't know why.. _"He has changed so much."_ Her eyes narrowed in thought.

"Where have you been all this time Naruto?", her green eyes were keen. And Naruto saw the suspicion in them.

"I've been doing missions all this time Sakura, if you had asked Tsunade she would've told you so." His azure eyes sought out her emerald ones when he spoke, "I'm sure you must have already done that." Azure eyes flickered to the left, where the ebony haired man was driving the car. "And I know Sasuke has."

Sasuke didn't show any signs of hearing Naruto, but the blond knew that the man was listening to everything that was said in the car. And Naruto also knew that he had to be careful around the Uchiha. Because Sasuke was the connection to everything that chased him.

"There's also something else. Sasuke, I sensed two more auras when Naruto came with the boy." Konohamaru glared at Karin at the last comment but she ignored him, preferring to look at the dark eyes of the Uchiha as he looked at her from the rear view mirror. She didn't notice the way the blond man tensed when she said it, but the dark eyes did.

"I recognized those two auras. It was your brother and his Akatsuki partner." Karin waited for her words to make the impact, and she inwardly smiled when Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "I think they might've come for the boy but I'm not sure."

"No, he didn't come for the boy. He came for someone else." Sasuke's eyes looked to the blond in his right when he spoke, but the said man didn't acknowledge the gesture.

"What do you mean? Akatsuki came for me didn't they? Because I knew what happened at the Black river accident? I was there when it happened." Konohamaru didn't know what the Uchiha had said but had an inkling. He was going to surpass Naruto, and he was important too, damn it!

"Akatsuki already know what happened there, as we all do. You played your part but it's not important now. You're getting hunted because the government wants a criminal to pin for the accident, and you who was caught at the it is their only chance. Akatsuki works for the government; they must have wanted someone powerful so that you won't escape." Sasuke's monotone drawl didn't sooth the teenage boy's anger.

"I am the only survivor of the Sarutobi clan. I am more important than a no name like Naruto.", his irritation grew when none of the men even looked at him. _"I'll show them, I'll show how I grew up, Naruto. You weren't here to see what I went through to get here."_

"I don't know about the no name part, boy. But he's a lot more valuable than you are. Sure your clan name gives you some importance, but this man is ranked top in the agents."

Sakura looked at the redhead woman when she spoke. "What do you mean? Isn't he just a B-class? That's what his rank was before."

Karin pushed up her glasses in annoyance before replying to the medic."No, from what I read in his files before we came here," she looked at the medic, "which you should have done too, his rank is SS-class, and under the demon category."

The woman looked up at the rearview when she felt an intense gaze on her and felt a shiver at the azure eyes looking at her in deep concentration. "_Those eyes.. what are they looking for?"_. Karin felt fear crawling into her mind.

"You have done your homework it seems, Karin-san. I had hoped that none would know about that." Naruto's deep melodic voice snapped the redhead out of her musing. She hid her eyes behind her glasses.

"I am an information gatherer so I always need to know what and who I am with. Since you have been gone for a long time I needed to recheck everything."

"Well I think your information is wrong Karin. There's no way that the dobe(idiot) would have a rank that high. The SS-class is reserved for the sannin and extremely powerful agents. And Naruto's none of those."

Karin huffed and glared at the medic. "My information is never wrong you annoying woman." Sakura's eyebrows twitched. "It's not my problem if you don't know anything. And you're even supposed to be the next sannin who will replace Tsunade. Sasuke is already the hebi(snake) sannin, and you will be the namekuji(slug) sannin and the gama(frog) sannin position is still unfilled because no one could find Jiraiya-sama's will and Tsunade-sama would not let anyone fill that position. She seemed to have been waiting for someone. That was until two days ago."

"What do you mean?" Sakura's confused voice filled the sudden silence in the car. Sasuke had stopped the car in front of a rare gas station.

"The new gama sannin was named in two days ago and the updated bingo book arrived last night." Karin's eyes held the blank azure gaze looking at her.

"Jiraiya-sama's successor is named Namikaze Naruto. And currently in the bingo book he's named under the Konoha rookie nine, but…" Karin's voice trailed off uncertainly.

"But what Karin?" At the Uchiha's voice red eyes snapped towards him. They glanced at the blond man for a split second before Karin answered. "His name, Namikaze, it means that he's related to the Yondaime Hokage."

Green eyes and black eyes widened and Konohamaru gasped. "What do you mean related to the Yondaime-sama?" Konohamaru raged before his attention shifted to the silent blond.

"Why do you have his name Naruto?" Naruto looked at the boy, the one who had looked up to him a long time ago. _"Time changes everything eh? But I never thought the bingo book had that much information in it."_

"Namikaze Minato, known to most as Yondaime was my father." And with that he got off the car and approached the fuel tank without waiting to see their reactions.

"**Fufufu… way to tell them everything little human. Or are you sure you can hide after this?"**

Blue eyes narrowed at the machine, _"Why are you awake?"_

"**Because I want to be of course. You do know that you can never control me little human?"**

Naruto punched the buttons fiercely, wishing that it was the face of the demon. _"I will one day. I will, and you won't be able to do anything"_. He felt the deep rumbling growl that meant that the demon was laughing and suddenly felt very small.

"**And what will you do if you ever gain that kind of power little human? Make me stay by you forever?".** Naruto unconsciously tightened his grip on the handle of the gas pump. **"You cannot let me go little human. I am you as much as you are me. We cannot be separated. But do not worry since you won't gain that kind of power I will be here always."**

"_I am not like you, I will never be like you, demon!". _The threat was empty, and they both knew that. He felt like a child when he heard the Kyuubi laugh again, alone in his apartment and hoping people won't come again for him.

He remembered hiding under the covers, talking to the demon, telling it his dreams and hopes, his wishes that were meant to be hidden. But the Kyuubi never said anything about them, it listened and laughed, but still he was comforted. He knew that the demon will never leave him and he felt frightened when the Akatsuki came, trying to take it away from him. Because he was selfish, because he wished never to be parted with it, because in the end the demon was the only thing that stayed with him.

"_**Because you never want to be alone, little human." **_

Azure eyes closed as he felt the demon. He stayed like that, feeling the presence of the demon as it did the same with him.

His senses jolted when he felt the strong aura suddenly. His shock only increased when he recognized to whom those auras belonged to.

**"Oh ho, it looks like he followed you, little human. So, what will you do now?"**

Naruto quickly snapped the pump into the machine and ran to the side of the car and got in. just as he was inside the car took off.

"How far are they, Karin?" Sasuke's voice held a strange emotion in it.

"Not that far, Sasuke. About 15 or 20 miles behind. How did I not sense this before?"

"Uchiha Itachi is not someone who can be detected by senses. If he is, that means he wants you to know where he is." _"Why the hell would he come here? Don't tell me that they're really after the boy."_

"There's a chance that they are after the boy. They wouldn't come this far just to get you, dobe." Naruto looked at the ebony haired man looking at him and nodded. They both ignored the shouts of "I told you so" coming from the back seat.

"There's something else though. Konohamaru said that he's going to fight for 'Tomorrow' back at sitting sun. The guards must've notified them." **"Little human, they are close."**

Sasuke glared at him before looking back from the side view mirror and cursing. "Why the hell did you let him even mention that name?"

Naruto sighed. "I was fighting and I thought that the boy was smart enough not to attract attention. Apparently I was very wrong."

"What in the world made you even say that name in the middle of the government dogs, Konohamaru?". The teenage boy hung his head at the irate shouting from the pink haired medic.

"Sasuke, we should really speed up. They're getting awfully close and this is a damn highway." Karin wasn't scared; no she was just scared for Sasuke. Or that what she told herself.

"I'll put up a barrier, you need to get a move on at that time." Naruto closed his eyes in concentration. He didn't even get a second before the he was pulled into his mind and the half transparent figure materialized in front of the bars in the sewer.

"_**Long time no see, Naruto-kun." **_

_**

* * *

**_

"Dobe, what's wrong?" Sasuke's voice had no effect on the frozen blond. "Sakura, snap him out of whatever he's in. We need his barrier if he can cast it."

"Hai(yes) Sasuke-kun" She reached forward between the two front seats to grasp the shoulder of the blond man and shook him. But he didn't even budge. "OI, Naruto. What the hell are you doing, idiot! Now is not the time for your silly pranks."

"Maybe he can't even do it. Probably bluffing." Karin glared at the boy next to her. She knew the boy was scared but so was she.

"At least he had an idea what to do. What can you do, brat?" Konohamaru's brown eyes glared at the red haired female.

* * *

"_**How far can you run, Naruto?"**_

_**

* * *

**_

Everyone in the car tensed when the blond man grabbed his head and started to scream.

"Kuso(damn). Sakura do something quickly. Karin how far away are they now?". Karin was shocked to hear a tone of urgency from the normally monotone voice of the Uchiha.

"Sasuke-kun he's in a genjutsu. I can't snap him out of it. His body rejects my powers."

"Sasuke, they're about 5 miles behind us. We should be able to see them. And also," Karin looked at the windshield, "they're not coming from behind Sasuke. They're coming from the front."

"Nani(what)?!", Sakura was a skilled medic agent and she prided herself on being one of the best, she had seen people at their worst and also had seen how they changed. But as she looked at Naruto now, clutching his head and screaming in agony, she wondered what she had learnt.

Sasuke served the car around before pressing his foot on the accelerator and speeding off on to the opposite. But he knew that if Itachi was serious on catching them, nothing would stop him. Sasuke was an all round fighter but he couldn't do anything when he was driving a car. _"That useless dobe, having a nervous breakdown at a time like this."_

_

* * *

_

"_Kyuubi!! Stop him! Stop! Stop! Stop! Stop! I don't want to remember. Please don't make me remember.."_

His demon was cut off from him. But it was in pain too. He can hear it roar in rage and pain but he couldn't help it. Not when he was also in so much pain that he couldn't move_. "Why would Itachi do this to them? Why?"  
_

He tried to stop the flashes, the memories that had long repressed of his childhood and the years he went after that man. It went on and on like a film roll, one after the other they played in front of him, but he couldn't touch them. To erase them, rip them off. To stop remembering.

"_**Do you think you can outrun me Naruto? You know you will never be able to do it. Not when I am a part of you, and you are a part of me. I will always find you, no matter what."**_

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! You don't know anything! All you Uchihas.." His one red eye and the other blue eye glared at the half transparent figure in the sewer. "You will never know, because I will not let you."

"_**How amusing. So what can you do Naruto-kun?"**_

"I will show you. I will never be a part of you, Uchiha Itachi!"

* * *

Sakura stopped shaking the blond when he suddenly went silent and stiff, the others in car also turning to look at him. She gave a sigh of relief and sat back down.

She froze when the car was suddenly filled with an enormous aura. It made the air still and heavy, and then vibrate. Her eyes widened when Naruto lifted his head and turn his head to the back, and Sakura saw an abyss for irises and fire for pupils. And she fainted.

"Sakura-san!" Konohamaru scrambled to awaken the unconscious female. "What the hell did you do, bastard?!"

"Stop Konohamaru." The boy suddenly stilled at the firm command from the front. "Don't look into his eyes. Sakura will be fine."

He started to feel scared when the air vibrated with even more intensity than before. Naruto took one deep breath before focusing his eyes and muttering under his breath. And Konohamaru felt the barrier come up in thin air around the car.

"Hurry up Sasuke. We need to get into the force field." Naruto turned back on his seat and closed his eyes tiredly. _**"The Uchiha's presence is gone, little human."**_

"I'm going as fast as this stupid car can go, dobe."

"What the hell was that about? You started screaming and having a nervous break down and now you're putting up barriers?"

"Not now Konohamaru. Your questions will have to wait."

Konohamaru was about to protest when a firm grip took hold of his arm. Karin shook her head at him. Konohamaru pouted but didn't do anything, turning his attention into the fainted female.

The rest of the car ride went in silence.

* * *

"What are we going to do, Itachi-san?", Kisame wondered what happened between the blond brat and the Uchiha but dared not ask.

"We will go back and report to Leader-sama."

"_**I will never be a part of you, Uchiha Itachi!"**_

Kisame also didn't comment on the amused expression on hi partner's face, after all he valued his life.

* * *

Please R&R.. and story alerts helps a lot too. Thanks for reading! ^_^

* * *


	3. How troublesome

Chapter 3 – How troublesome

* * *

They were still in the damn car and trying to get the sputtering thing to go a few miles for the next gas station.

"Why is this thing not working? I thought since you're an Uchiha and all you would get something worth a lot more." Sasuke gritted his teeth at the annoying teenage voice coming from the back seat. He had enough of this!

"Shut up Konohamaru. This was the car we could get at that time. It's not like their being made that easily for us to get what we like. Be grateful that we even got this." At least he was not the only one who was annoyed.

"And why the hell aren't there any gas stations with gas? And why in the world are we lost?!" the childish voice rang out again and Sasuke felt the headache he had for the past few hours worsen.

"Karin, can you get a reception so we could contact headquarters?" The red headed woman shook her head as she pressed the buttons in the phone in her hand frantically.

"I can't get even one bar, Sasuke-kun. We're not in high ground." She cast a look around the deserted plains and sighed. "I don't think we'll get any reception anytime soon."

Sasuke tried to calm himself as he cast a look at the sleeping blond next to him. Soon after he had cast the barrier and they had miraculously escaped, though he knew that Itachi had lost interest in them most likely, Naruto had fallen asleep. He stopped the car and ignoring the whining voice turned around to face his pink haired teammate.

"Sakura, check the back to see if there's anything we could use. There should be a satellite phone for emergencies or some shit." He saw sakura nod and get out of the car to check the boot. Then he turned to the boy trying to drill holes into him by glaring, before addressing him.

"You need to shut up, boy. You can't do anything so at least let us figure out something by shutting your trap so that we could hear ourselves think." He emphasized his words by glaring at the boy until he sagged in his seat. "And Karin, keep trying with the phone."

He turned around again sideways to the sleeping ex-teammate of his before putting a hand on the cloth covered shoulder and shaking.

"Sasuke-kun, there's nothing in the back except stuff to fix the car." Sakura sighed before getting into the car and sighing again.

"Oi Naruto. Wake up; we need to work out something. Naruto!"

* * *

The sun was setting and tower was peaceful. Tsunade sighed and sipped on the tea, a very rare occasion, as she looked at the multitude of colors that swept about in the sky.

_Colors, first time I'm seeing this in a while in konoha. The sky had given up too, as we did. _

She turned when the door opened and Shizune entered the room. Tsunade turned hopeful hazel eyes towards the younger woman, only for the same eyes to fill with disappointment when Shizune shook her head sadly.

"I'm sorry Tsunade-sama. Inoichi-san is trying his best but they seem to be out of range. He could only sense them when they were near Amakagura area and then they vanished."

Tsunade sat down heavily in the chair behind the long wooden table and put the tea cup in front of her, grasping it tightly.

"But that was the same area where he sensed Itachi and Kisame pursing them."

Shizune nodded before answering her superior, "Yes and then someone put up a barrier and the car vanished, Itachi and Kisame turned back after that. Inoichi-san couldn't sense either of the cars after that."

The tea cup was brought to lips and sipped at before Tsunade swiveled the chair around again, the hokage's office from top of the tower giving her a view that many had wished to see. The colors of the sky were still being swept about by the ever changing wind, the clouds shifting shapes and adjusting to the will of the wind.

"Naruto said he would be here today, in the evening. He said he will do the rites this year."

The younger assistant smiled sadly, scrunching her eyes when memories overwhelmed her mind. _Tsunade-sama.. I am so sorry…_

"Yes, he would never miss the Obon festival if he had a choice, Hime-sama. I am sure he is safe and he will come. Surely."

* * *

Sasuke almost gave up shaking the unresponsive blond but stopped when he felt a slight shrug.

"Naruto, we need to get going. Do you have anything with you that could contact the base?"

Bleary blue eyes winked at him before closing and opening with the normal alertness. Sasuke pulled back as Naruto got up and looked around.

"Where are we?" Konohamaru's ever present voice piped up to answer the question from the blond.

"We're lost, so yeah, we don't know."

Blue eyes widened slightly before the owner of them sighed and leant back in the seat, a tan hand coming up to cover the eyes.

"We're almost out of gas, aren't we? How long did you drive, Sasuke?"

"After I turned the car around when Itachi came after us, probably three to four hours. Even if we turned back we should've arrived back at Setting sun since I never changed routes." He shifted his eyes to look at his side when he heard a sigh.

"So troublesome, we're probably nowhere even near setting sun." Blue eyes gazed at the black eyes as he continued.

"Have you heard of something called 'the road turner'", he heard a 'yes' from the backseat and took it as an affirmation to continue before he turned his gaze to look at the yellow land around them.

"It's a sort of mirage but not exactly. It happens to a person when the energy of the atmosphere clashes with the life energy. I won't go into detail but in summary the person sees a mirage but not one which will disappear when you get near. The person will keep seeing it until the energy clashes stop, which usually takes awhile. The name was given because after the wars people drove around a lot trying to find places to stay in and the drivers were the ones affected by this."

He turned his back at the Uchiha. "You had a road turner, Sasuke. And since probably everyone else was panicking nobody realized you had changed the routes." He saw the black eyes harden and sighed again.

"So yes, we're lost and I don't know where we are. We should probably try to drive as far as we can with the gas we have."

Konohamaru didn't like where this was going. "And then what, Naruto nii-chan?"

Naruto smiled at the old nickname before his mouth tugged back into a small frown. He turned in his seat and looked at the boy he had rescued.

"And we hope, Konohamaru. Hope that we are close to 'somewhere' in this damn place."

'_Well… shit.'_

* * *

**A/N-Thank you very much for reading!**


	4. Memoires of a lost soul

Chapter 4 - Memoires of a lost soul

* * *

_He struggled to get enough oxygen to keep his heart working while crawling towards the door. The door handle, which he could normally grasp in his small hands when he stood on his toes, seemed too high for him to reach even with the bunny chair his kaa-chan (mother) had bought for him last week._

_His vision was blurring, like when he had too much of the red juice that ero-sennin sometimes gave him. His tou-chan(father) caught ero-sennin once when he gave him the drink and ero-sennin had a blue face for weeks after that. He wondered why his tou-chan seemed so angry at that time. His shoulders sagged and knees almost gave up when he coughed a lot again. _

'_Tsunade baa-chan (granny) can give me that syrup again. Even though it tastes bad kaa-chan told me it will always make me feel better. I have to get out somehow, and get someone to help me. I will make kaa-chan and tou-chan proud!'_

_He breathed deeply again, coughing due to the lack of oxygen and the smoke that was coming from the heat behind him. He refused to look back. It was just a nightmare. It wasn't real, it will never be real._

_He looked up at the bronze handle again before standing on his tiptoes and reaching up and successfully grasping the door handle and putting his weight into it. He smiled when the door opened and crawled outside. He couldn't seem to be able to get up, and everything was had an orange tinge to it and nothing was clear. _

_He braced himself on his arms and pulled himself up to his feet. He walked only a few feet when he fell down again. The usually cool and fluffy carpet on the corridor felt scratchy against his sweaty cheeks._

'_Why is it so hot? Spring only just began. Kaa-chan, where are you?'_

"_Naruto-kun." _

_He shifted his half lidded eyes towards his left where the whisper sounded from. There he saw a figure crouching low, hands reaching for him. He smiled when he recognized the eyes of the black clad person. That was when he saw the other man behind crouched figure. His eyes widened when he recognized him and the cruel smirk on the pale face. _

_His azure eyes widened when he saw the smirk widen and started shaking when deep, rough laughter rang in the hollow empty corridor._

"_Look at him. He's like a frightened little rabbit. Don't worry little pet, I don't have time for more play time now. But I'll come for you again; sooner or later you'll be mine."_

_The crouched figure didn't turn around or acknowledge the man behind him, his arms rested around the shaking figure of the small hyperventilating child. A frown creased the fine lines of his brows. _

_The child turned his eyes towards the figure holding him when he felt the small touches, neither hurting nor warm. He saw the handsome face turn sideways when the figure's name was called by the man in his cruel, cruel voice. _

"_Do whatever you want with him, just don't kill him. I'm leaving." The man with the cruel voice turned around and left with a last glance and a smirk at the young child's way. The child's shaking didn't lessen. He flinched when the hands tightened around him and raised him towards a broad chest. The steady thumping of the heart lulled him into a sense of security._

_He was waken when he was put down on some rough surface and when he opened his eyes he saw his savior walking away from him. And even in his four year old mind, he knew that this was the last time he would ever see that person's face as someone he trusted and loved. _

_And as more familiar faces found him hours later, half dead on the ground before ashes of a house, his dull eyes were still riveted on the memory of the burning house and the room with sunflower walls, where he had lost his childhood and everything he had called his family._

* * *

"Kami-sama, I need water. Please give me some water." Sasuke gritted his teeth and refused to snap at the constant whining that seemed to be going on for _hours_. His companion sighed from his side and indulged the teen.

"Konohamaru, we need to use the water safely. We're in the middle of a desert in no man's land, without any knowledge of how to get back or where the nearest town is."

Sakura's annoyed voice piped from the front, "Not to mention how someone is incapable of even getting a damn signal." Green eyes glared to her right where the red headed woman pushed up her glasses angrily; but before she could retaliate and start another 'cat fight' as Konohamaru had intelligently dubbed, and then getting multiple punches for the effort, Naruto cut in again.

"Look, we're all tired, angry, thirsty, hungry and all that shit, but seriously, can we just shut the hell up and conserve the energy to move this damn car another mile?", nobody argued back at the surprisingly harsh voice of the blond.

"**Ningen(human)" **

The blond stopped stricken in the middle of the hot dark strip of the road when he heard the demon speak. But it was not the fact that the demon had decided to talk to him that made him stop, shocked; but it was the reason the demon was woken from its slumber. It was the new set of stimulations that was loaded into his mind.

"Naruto?" Sasuke looked at the wide blue eyes and the shocked expression of the blond. The others had stopped too, pausing to look at the blond man who looked like he was stuck in time. All of them tensed when tan hands grasped at wild yellow locks and the figure couched down to the ground.

Sakura sought out the dark gaze of the younger Uchiha and nodded, these were the same symptoms Naruto had shown before he had the panic attack in the car.

"_I can feel him, I can feel him. What should I do? Kyuubi, is he able to track me?"_

"**No, I think not. This is the usual presence, ningen. He probably opened the bond again." ** Naruto felt the demon shift, the change always unnerved him, making him feel like a ghost went through his body.

Naruto untangled his hands from his hair stood up, almost hitting his head on the dark head of the Uchiha who had bent down.

"We have to keep moving." He frowned when he looked at his watch, his eyes widening for a second in disbelief before he broke out in hysterical laughter.

Sasuke moved a step backwards and angled to make himself stand behind the blond. He saw the two women take regular positions of confronting from front of the laughing blond. Konohamaru was to the side, tense and looking with wide eyes.

"I can't believe this! None of us ever noticed this before?!" the still smiling blond turned around to face the dark haired man. "Hey Sasuke, check your time." Blue eyes twinkled with an emotion Sasuke couldn't identify.

"I found out where we are."

* * *

Kisame sighed as he followed his ever so silent partner to the dingy motel they were supposed to spend the night in. He turned his eyes back towards where he had parked the car. In the distance he could make out light, showing that it was daytime a few miles from where he was standing.

"Itachi-san, are you sure it's okay that we don't continue to headquarters?" he saw the shorter man pause in his step.

"I sent a message to leader. I don't want you to come with me where I'm going." The emotionless tone always grated on him. Of course he knew that he wasn't supposed to follow the other man wherever he was supposed to go next. He received his set of orders after their mission status update.

But Kisame was a man driven by curiosity, and he knew that if he let his curiosity drive him this time, he wouldn't live to see another day. Uchiha Itachi was as dangerous as he was homicidal. And Hoshigaki Kisame loved his life right now.

He sighed to himself again and shifted samehada onto his shoulder as he watched the light filtering in the distance. _But really, did we have to stop here? In the city of light and dark; Genzou no machi(city of illusions)? _

He never noticed as his dark haired companion also glanced from his straw hat towards the lights, red eyes glinting with something unnamed.

* * *

A/N – Another chappie done! Alerts and reviews keep me going!


	5. Crimson stare

A/N- Sorry my updates are slow! I really am…but I always end up finishing half way and then starting all over. Honto ni Gomen!

And I want to thank Mischievious Kitsune for being the beta for this story! Thank you so much! You really help me out here! =D

* * *

Chapter 5 – Guren no gyoushii (Crimson stare)

* * *

Naruto stared wide-eyed at the figure resting on his bed. The rumpled sheets showing that the man had been on the bed for some time now. He felt the demon's dark amusement and shivered. He didn't know whether it was because Kyuubi moved or because he saw the red eyes.

'Damn it!'

And Kyuubi laughed.

* * *

Fifteen hours earlier...

"So you're telling me that we're in the town of Illusions? You know, the one where people end up either missing or dead? Where the whole damn place is made up of illusions and you can never get few feet without getting lost? Did I mention that it was where the rate of ending up dying was 100%?" by that time the four agents were insisting on ignoring the teenager but it didn't stop him from talking.

"Shut up will you?!" Sakura was the one to crack first. "Sasuke-kun, what should we do?" she asked the question which she and her other female enemy had been pestering Sasuke with for the last hour.

Sasuke almost gave up right there. Almost. But he was an Uchiha and an Uchiha doesn't give up, ever. He looked at the other silent agent they had been pushing the car with from the corner of his eyes, trying to gouge his thoughts from the surprisingly expressionless blue eyes.

"We'll sleep in the car, we should probably stick to it just in case. If we're lucky we might run into someone else here. We can't be the only ones in this place. If we're able to find the neon path we'll be able to get to the real city."

"I agree with Sasuke. If we're attacked we could at least use the car as a defense or some bargain chip. I've only been here once and it was with Jiraiya-sensei. He knew where the neon path was so we didn't have trouble. I'll try to find it too but we'll go the way we're going." He looked sharply at Konohamaru when the boy opened his mouth to protest.

"Yes Konohamaru, I know that we might be going in circles but we need to keep walking if we're supposed to find the path."

Konohamaru sighed but complied. He turned towards the silver boot of the Toyota they had driven in. He felt like crying. _We've been pushing this heap of junk for hours! We need to at least rest a bit!_

"Ah! I found it! There's the path! Let's go everyone!" Naruto's shout had everyone clambering around the car to walk the path he had found.

Karin sighed in relief when she saw the neon colored edges of the legendary 'Neon Path' of the city of Illusions. _Why can't this thing be found sooner if it's the only damn road to the city?!_

"So can we just leave the car here then?" Konohamaru actually did shout from joy when he saw Sasuke nod his head.

"Just make sure to get everything from the car. If we leave it here we might be able to come back and get it again. We could buy some fuel and get going."

"I don't think that's a good idea. We might actually get lost again if we try to come back to the car. But since Sasuke seems to be in love with it we'll come back after contacting headquarters and saying that we're here. We need to hurry up too, the neon path always changes."

Naruto looked back at the changing fluorescent lights of the road before hurrying back to the car to get his pack. After gathering their supplies they started the walk to the 'real' city of Illusions.

* * *

Konohamaru started running when they saw the buildings and people come into their sights. And Sakura joined after they neared even more towards them. They found Konohamaru chugging down a bottle of water with a laughing old man next to him. They graciously accepted the water bottles that the man offered to them and promptly started gulping it down.

After finally arriving at the city and having their hunger and thirst satisfied from the nearest shop, which happened to be a ramen shop at which Sasuke smirked at ironically, they started to notice the beauty of the city.

It was as of the whole city was behind a veil, lights flickered and changed colors, sounds which were once very prominent would sound like a broken records the very next seconds. Smells changed and mixed, sometimes making Konohamaru sniff after it like a dog and then making him hold his nose. Sakura stared at the marvel and completely out of the world city in front of her.

"Now you know why it's so hard to find, don't you?" The pink haired woman looked at where the voice had sounded from, finding an amused looking man looking at her.

"I guess so. I just ever thought it was this…fantastic." She blushed when the man chuckled humorously.

"We get that a lot. People on the outside only hear the rumors of the missing and the dead, not about the beauty of this city. I guess that's how the world works. I'm Kazuma Keiichi. Welcome to the wondrous City of Illusions, one of the very few oases in the lost land. I'm a tour guide, would you like me to assist you?"

Sakura looked back at where the others had stopped, looking at what looked like a map. She turned back to the man and excused herself before walking back to the others.

"Sasuke-kun, there's a man who says that he'll show us around the city. Should we go with him?" Sasuke looked back at where Sakura had indicated to, locking gazes with a middle-aged man looking at them. He saw the man give a short bow to him and gave a nod back. He turned back to talk to Naruto when he saw the man starting to walk towards them.

"I'm sorry I didn't know you had companions, miss. My name is Kazuma Keiichi. I could show you around the city, and I don't charge. It's a service the council started last year for visitors."

Naruto nodded at the man and smiled in reflex, he remembered Jiraiya talking about it sometime ago. He sighed and looked back at the map they had been looking at before the guide had come. He looked at Sasuke and shrugged at the silent question in his companion's gaze.

"We would really appreciate it Kazuma-san. We're kind of lost here. I came to this city a long time ago but my memory is a bit foggy so I don't really recognize anything. Everyone else here," the blond indicated to the other four as he continued, "are first timers in the City of Illusions. My name is Naruto and this is Sasuke, Konohamaru, Karin and Sakura." Kazuma's brown eyes lighted up at Naruto's words.

"You have been here before? That's wonderful news. I'm afraid most people forget almost everything about the city after they leave. Another perk of the city I'm afraid. Will you be staying here for awhile?"

After Naruto explained their predicament Kazuma took them to a fuel station where they got three gallons of fuel, just in case had been Sasuke's reasoning, and followed the dark haired guide as he took them to the motel they were supposed to spend the night in.

After finding individual rooms to stay in and having another meal, upon Konohamaru's request, they went back to the rooms and settled in.

* * *

"**Ningen"** Naruto growled when the baritone voice rang in his head, **"He's here."**

'_Damn it, stupid furball! You could've told me earlier BEFORE we booked the rooms! How the hell am I supposed to get out of this? I need to get out of here.'_

"**When I said he's here, I meant he's in the room, foolish kit."**

'_Eh?'_

* * *

Present Time...

Naruto was still questioning his eyes and his sanity when the figure stood up from the bed and started walking towards the stunned blond.

_'No, please no.'_

Naruto reflexively started walking backwards when Itachi kept advancing on him, the amused red stare burning onto his scared blue eyes.

Naruto felt the cold wall block his escape, he felt around for the door and not finding any wood anywhere near his fingers broke his gaze and ran towards where he prayed the door was, only to be dragged back by strong hands that covered his mouth and gripped his waist, hauling him onto the crumpled sheet covered bed.

Naruto couldn't stop his screaming even his life depended on it. Between the sheets and the hard body that stopped his struggling, for once he forgot to keep his mind closed. And when he finally figured it out Itachi was already inside his mind.

Flashes of a kind smile and gentle dark eyes filled his mind. Memories he had long suppressed poured like a motion picture and the tears started falling down. The summer breeze mixed with the sounds of guitar strings and a melodic voice, the warmth of his mother when she randomly hugged him, his father's strong arms when he held him in the air, everything of his life he had tried to forget but couldn't.

'_Naruto-chan!' _

"Hn, so you do remember, even when you try so hard not to. Such a pitiful child you are, Naruto."

His voice was muffled and his crying hadn't stopped, but even through his hazy gaze he could still see the crimson stare of Itachi.

"I'll let go of you if you promise not to scream like a woman and run." Blue eyes glared at the offending curl of the older man's lips. He reluctantly nodded.

"Good little pet"

And Naruto couldn't stop the lips that attached to his the moment the rough large hand left his mouth, and just like that he couldn't stop the pleasure that ran throughout his body.

"Itachi-san"

* * *

**Done!**

**This was a question Mischievious Kitsune asked me .. also DiaryAnjo or RisingSunRemix asked this before.**

**"Wait is Itachi good or evil I'm so confused. At first I thought he was evil since in beginning chapters he kept trying to (in my mind) torture Naruto by getting in his mind and saying he was his and then the flashbacks…Are you going to explain later on why Itachi was so intent on getting in his mind? –curious look- On a side note I was practically laughing at how Kyuubi and Naruto interacted. It was so like him to only say something when Itachi was already there. –shakes head- "**

**And as the answer I won't give a specific reason :P but I'll just say that Itachi and Naruto share a certain connection that both of them can't deny. I'll explain more about it in later chapters.**


	6. Encounter

Disclaimer - Don't own, never owned and never will own, Naruto.

Thanks for Mischievious Kitsune for beta-ing the story.

* * *

Chapter 6: Encounter

* * *

_"Naruto-chan! Look at you! Minato, come look! Hurry up you slow poke! Naruto-chan can talk to wind now!"_

_"Kaa-chan, look! Look! Aren't you proud of me?"_

_"Hahahaha, that's my little genius. You have your tou-chan's brains. As expected of my mini-me! Ow! Kushina-chaaaan…"_

_"Shut it! Naruto-chan got his brains from me from of course. As if I would pass on the brains of an idiot like you to my little angel. Oh look Naru, kaze(wind) wants to play with you."_

_"Is it okay? The wind tickles."_

_"Of course it's okay, Naru. Kaze is going to be with you forever and ever from now on you know. She will protect you and help you whenever you want; just like kaa-chan's water."_

_"Forever and ever? Just like kaa-chan(mother) and tou-chan (father)?"_

_"Yep!"_

_"Come on Naru-chan. Show tou-chan that trick you showed kaa-chan. I want to see it too. Oh wait a sec, I'm going to get the camera."_

_"Hehehe…okay tou-chan. Ah!"_

_"Mikoto-chan! You brought the little devils too?"_

_"Kushina-chan…come on now."_

_"They ruined my plants you know! I thought that the older mini-Fugaku would have more sense. Oh Sasu-chan, look at you. So cute."_

_"Hahaha…Sasuke looks like a girl!"_

_"Shut up! I don't look like a girl! Idiot!"_

_"Sasuke, be nicer. Did your element talk to you Naru? Minato-sama was screaming something like that."_

_"Oh yeah! My little angel is so grown up now. "_

_"Heh, who's the girl now dobe?"_

_"Kaa-chan! Ne ne, look look. Isn't it cool?"_

_"My Naru-chan, are you floating?"_

_"Heheh…aren't I good Mikoto oba-chan (aunt)?"_

_"That's very good Naru. If you keep practicing with kaze you'll be even better."_

_"You really think so?"_

_"Of course."_

_"Thanks, Itachi nii-san!"_

* * *

He couldn't breathe. No, it wasn't that. He didn't want to stop to breathe. He closed his eyes when the gaze of the crimson eyes felt too heavy, released his tensed muscles when he felt the rough hand run under his shirt, gave up his control and everything when the feelings overwhelmed him.

"Itachi…"

* * *

"Damn, where is Naruto nii-chan? I thought we were supposed to meet up before going to sleep!"

Karin had also been wondering what had happened the moment she felt the strangely familiar yet creepy aura, but it had disappeared before she could do anything.

"Maybe we should go ahead? What do you think Sasuke-kun?" Dark eyes regarded the pink haired woman when she spoke up. Karin sighed and answered instead.

"We'll wait for a bit I guess. Don't you think he'll do the same for you?"

Konohamaru pouted but plopped down on the comfy sofa on the lounge. He looked at his companions one by one. Karin and Sakura sat across each other on the sofas on either side of the one he sat on and Sasuke had leaned on a chair next to them.

"Karin, did you feel an aura that felt any different after we came here?"

"Well I felt an aura earlier. It felt familiar but I couldn't recognize it and it disappeared before I could do anything." Karin ignored the 'useless' comment that came from the pink haired enemy. Sasuke narrowed his eyes when he heard Karin.

"I thought so. Itachi's here."

All of them sat up shocked at the Uchiha's words. Konohamaru was the first one to respond.

"What the hell do you mean? How the hell did that bastard find us? I'm going to die aren't I? I don't want to die! I don't want to die!"

"Shut the fuck up!"

Karin and Sakura both jumped at the loud voice that drowned Konohamaru's ramblings; both of them turning incredulous eyes at Sasuke, who was breathing hard from shouting. He ran a pale hand through his dark hair, mussing it up even more.

"We need to find Naruto. Right now." He gritted out.

_"Damn that dobe (loser), going missing when that bastard's here. Why is he here anyways?"_

He shifted his eyes to look at the brown haired teenager running behind him. _"Itachi's not interested in the stupid brat. What is he after? Or who?_"

"Sasuke-kun, I got the spare keys from the receptionist." Sasuke nodded at his 'teammate' and increased his pace again, almost running towards the elevator.

He saw Konohamaru and Karin get in and stop the elevator, Sakura getting in after them and followed immediately. He punched in the button for level 7 and the doors had almost closed when he lifted his eyes to the lounge when he saw him.

And he couldn't do anything when he heard Karin scream in his ear, nor could he stop the doors. His eyes couldn't move from the red eyes of the man he had sworn to kill.

"Itachi!"

* * *

Konohamaru was tired. _"I can't stop. I need to find Naruto nii-chan. Hurry up and find him konohamaru!" _

He jumped when another explosion went behind him. He looked at his running-for-life companion. She was also panting like him, sweat running down their bodies, adrenaline pumping them up and senses heightened up for the sake of survival.

"Hahaha…how long are you going to keep running brats? Don't be such spoilsports! Do you know how long I wanted a fight? But no you guys had to just keep running!" Another explosion punctuated the screaming of their enemy._ "Damn it! If I just stop and fight!"_

"Don't even think about it Konohamaru! We need to keep going and find Naruto! You can't fight him, he's a monster. Remember what Karin said?" Konohamaru gritted his teeth but didn't respond. _"Of course I remember! I remember because her face said it all! ' I can't see an end to his power!' That's what she said."_

Sakura always kept a tight control over her power, that's why she became a successful medic, because she could do it. But looking at the desperate situation she was in; looking for a missing comrade who could possibly save them, and as a teenage kid who couldn't understand his own powers as a fighting comrade, she wondered where she would end up.

They had gotten off the elevator with Sasuke practically shaking in rage the whole way, to find Itachi's partner, Kisame, waiting to ambush them. After Sasuke running off the staircase to find Itachi and Karin following him it was up to the two of them to fend off a powerful maniac and find Naruto.

"There it is! Room 1201! Finally we found it. Sakura-san please keep going in and get Naruto nii-chan. I'll keep him busy here somehow. You need to somehow wake him up okay?"

Sakura nodded and after casting a worried glance at his exhausted form and the 'demon' advancing on them she busted open the door of the room Karin said that Naruto was in, apparently unconscious._ "Damn that idiot! What the hell is he doing?! If he's sleeping I'm going to punch him into the next world!"_

"Naruto! Get up damn it!" she ran towards the blond figure on the bed, roughly grabbing the clothed shoulder and shaking him and almost getting pushed onto the laid body when the wall of the room blasted in.

Green eyes desperately searched through the prone body, checking for injuries or fatal cuts. When finding none she gathered her powers into her hands, watching with tearing eyes as the soft green light gathered up.

_"You need to wake up Naruto!" _

"Looks like the brat's no good. Now, how should we play? Don't think because you're a woman I'm going to go easy on you. You see we came here to get something, and we need it right now."

"What are you looking for?"

Sakura didn't stop the flow of her hands, nor did she look behind her to see where he was. But she knew when she heard him respond, the shifting of cloth brushing on her oversensitive back.

"We need him you see; Itachi-san's precious pet." Green eyes widened when a rough blue hand grabbed hold of the shoulder on to her left, hauling the tan body of that was in front of her in second seemingly without any effort.

"We can't let you have him; Namikaze Naruto belongs to the Akatsuki."

* * *

Review please! And story alerts are appreciated! Thanks for everyone who reviewed and put alerts =D


	7. And so it goes on

Disclaimer – I don't own anything in Naruto.

Summary - When we lost everything, tomorrow became just a hope. Now the chance to get it back had come, but the question is.. will we be able to? ...

Pairings - Main- ItaNaru, KakaIru and ShikaTema, GaaNeji...others will be mentioned since they're not decided yet.

* * *

**Day 7: "And so it goes on"**

* * *

Sakura could only watch helplessly as the giant of a man lifted the unconscious body of her ex-teammate and onto his shoulder. She couldn't even a move a muscle when he turned around to give her a sharp smirk and start walking to the door, casually stepping over the prone body of Konohamaru; staining the pristine white carpet red with blood. All through that she stood frozen in shock and fear, the feeling overwhelming her and rooting her body to that one spot.

Sakura felt more than hear the floor shaking from another explosion and snapped out of her shock when she heard Sasuke's enraged shout of their ex- teammate's name. She started towards Konohamaru, still bleeding red and making the metallic smell of blood fill the room. She immediately called her power, more so out of the actions her body remembered rather than consciously doing it. She could hear the chirping sound the chidori made and Karin shouting to Sasuke and she couldn't stop the tears that started to fall down.

She had failed Naruto, again.

* * *

_Why is he here? Was he really after Naruto? Why now when he could have got him before?_

He ignored the labored breathing and stomping footsteps behind him as Karin kept following him; and he ignored even his own breathless and sweaty state after running down twelve floors to the back of the lounge. He knew what he would find when he got there, but he ignored and kept running, bursting through the grey doors that led to the stairs onto the lounge.

Ignoring the startled and curious stares of the very few people around the lounge he desperately looked around, and Karin confirmed his thoughts when she walked next to him.

"He's not here Sasuke-kun. I can't feel him anywhere."

'_Damn it! I'm not letting him go!'_ Sasuke was sure that he could take on Kisame but he didn't know how long he could hold off the big Akatsuki member, but if he could get a hold of sakura their combined fighting could get back Naruto. He kept chasing after Kisame, wondering where he was taking Naruto when he saw Kisame running off towards the back exit of the hotel.

* * *

Karin was sure this chase was going to end up with both of them killed. She was a sensor ninja, and her main purpose was to identify the chakra signatures and Kisame's chakra was off the scale. She had only seen such a large amount of chakra in the jinchuuriki.

She knew what Sasuke was thinking as she kept running behind the dark haired younger Uchiha; but she knew it will end up with misery.

* * *

Sakura quickened her steps even more when she sensed Sasuke and Karin getting further away from her. But really, they could've known she was following too! She adjusted her hold on Konohamaru over her shoulder before starting a hurried sprint to the back exit.

Sasuke kept running, increasing his speed and even using his power to keep up with the extremity. Kisame had neared the exit door and had almost opened it when a blast had come from the left of the hallway at the exit and thrown the big man to the right, the unconscious body of Naruto moving away from the Akatsuki member.

Karin ran towards the prone form and hauled it to her shoulder, assuming a fireman carrying stance. She moved the body towards the lounge and away from the exit. Sasuke couldn't see who had helped them but he didn't have to wait long before the enemy of their enemy showed themselves.

"Yo Sasuke! What happened to the others?"

* * *

Sakura was literally crying with relief when she came to the lounge to see Karin carrying Naruto to the lounges. She hurried with Konohamaru's body and laid him down on the couch next to Naruto's. Karin had learned some of the healing techniques and she had already finished healing the small bruises on Naruto.

"Itachi didn't harm him?"

Karin looked at her when she asked that and shook her head.

"I only found wounds on wrists and chest, but it wasn't anything serious."

Sakura's healing energy was pouring on to konohamaru's body and Karin had also started on konohamaru's side. It was only few seconds later when karin's hands gave a lurch and she looked up at the exit, making sakura mimic her turn her head too.

Kakashi and Sasuke had managed to injure Kisame, but the exit door was open and a second figure donned with the Akatsuki clothing stood silhouetted against the open door.

"Oh no"

* * *

Itachi knew Kisame was acting weak, but time was running out because of this drama. He looked at this partner, seeing him sigh and nod before standing straight with the samehada at the ready.

Sasuke had the sharingan activated, and Itachi didn't consider him a threat but the new enforcement that had come to help them was one. Kakashi was strong and smart, and that was a bad combination in an enemy.

"Kisame keep them occupied. I only need a few moments."

He didn't stop to look whether Kisame had agreed or not when he started walking towards the prone figure of Naruto few meters straight ahead of him.

Sasuke was the first to attack but he didn't get a chance to get near Itachi with the samehada in the way. Kakashi had teleported to near Naruto's body.

Karin's hands were shaking. Her eyes were fixed upon the advancing member of Akatsuki, and in her opinion, the most dangerous one.

_Why is this happening?_

Kakashi had taken a stance in front of the couches with the bodies of Naruto and Konohamaru, and her eyes watched as sakura also stood up and took an attack stance next to her teacher. Karin looked at them and then at the body of the child she was healing.

Her eyes narrowed when she strengthened her mind and kept healing Konohamaru, even when she heard the sound of thousand birds chirping when Kakashi activated raikiri, and the floor shaking and breaking when sakura's super strength punch hit the floor. She kept a steady flow of healing energy going out of her body, through the sounds of sakura's screaming and kisame's laughs and even when kakashi's body went flying through air to hit the wall of the lounge.

She ignored everything else and kept her healing hand going, she only stopped when she felt Itachi near her.

Her mind went through all the attacks she knew, picking the ones that were strong. She was not a fighter; Orochimaru had not made her into a fighter. She was a healer and a sensor, adept at infiltrating and assassinating.

She stood up and grounded her weight and took a deep breath before she ran at the dark haired man. He was ready for her and even though she tried desperately, she couldn't stop her mind from going to the world of tsukuyomi.

* * *

The night cold air blasted through the window of the motel room Karin had managed to snatch after healing the others. She had been the first to wake up with Kakashi. They couldn't return to the hotel after the fiasco and they had trouble even hiding from the management trying to get them to compensate for the damage.

Sasuke had woken in the middle of healing and snapped back to the old cold personality. Konohamaru had woken while they were having dinner and managed to wolf down some onigiri. They were still waiting for Naruto to wake up.

Konohamaru asked to sleep first and sakura had insisted on that and for him to get some rest after the beating and wounds he had gotten from Kisame. Konohamaru didn't seem to want to go into details to what happened in the fight with Kisame but he had the same determined gaze Sakura had seen in Naruto 's eyes after he lost a fight. So sakura knew Konohamaru would jump back from this experience but she couldn't say the same for the rest of the six.

Sakura herself was feeling the stark difference in her power when compared to Akatsuki. She had taken tutelage of Senju Tsunade and yet her level was so below that she couldn't imagine ever achieving a level of power to stand against Akatsuki.

Karin had fallen asleep after Konohamaru and while kakashi and Sasuke stayed awake for the first watch. Technically it was supposed to be only Sasuke who was on the watch but no one said no to Kakashi.

Kisame's power and that strength sakura had imagined being the greatest but she shivered when she remembered Itachi's power. That dark power full of malice and hate, and she couldn't understand how a human could ever even control that power, to the extent she felt Itachi handle that power.

She looked at the silent profile of Sasuke leaning against the window. Sasuke, who tried so hard to gain power, who even gave up everything just to get enough power to fight against Itachi, and yet Itachi was so far away. She turned when Karin made some mumbling and stood up to check over Konohamaru when she saw blue eyes watching her.

* * *

"Naruto! You're awake!" her shocked shout woke up Karin and Konohamaru and Sasuke stood up from his unmoving state, Kakashi only moved his eyes from the icha icha book towards Naruto. Sakura stood next to the second bed while Naruto got up slowly and held his head in his hands.

"What did Itachi do to me?" Naruto's rough voice made them all look at each other and no one seemed to know what to say.

"We don't know." sakura replied slowly, unsure of what exactly say to Naruto. But sasuke's answer surprised them all.

"He did a seal on you. After Karin went into tsukuyomi he did a seal on your chest. I was far away so I didn't get to see it and when I checked after they left there was nothing on your body."

Green eyes followed the path of the tan hands as they slowly lifted the shirt to check where the seal was placed. Sakura heard Karin gasp as she hid her own surprise when there was no mark to mar the tan skin at the place Itachi had placed the seal.

Her shock only increased when Naruto touched his heart after a second and the seal appeared in all its glory. Sakura couldn't read the marks written on the seal but judging from how Naruto's eyes narrowed then shut tightly she could sense it wasn't anything reversible.

"We need to get out of here. Now." And with that sakura watched with mouth half open as everyone got up and packed and was ready to leave in minutes. She was surprised to find herself obeying too.

* * *

Kisame watched as Itachi drove through the traffic with no regards to rules or cars or anything that crossed his path. The aura around Itachi made him wary. Itachi was pissed about something, even though the plan had gone through perfectly, in his opinion.

Itachi only finally slowed when the mansion Pein had been using for Akatsuki's purposes was finally visible on the road. It had been a mansion belonging to the Uzumaki family and he wondered if Naruto knew about it. Pein had been using it for years and no one had come asking questions.

Itachi closed the car door and took the booklet he had collected from the now dead superintendent and went through the back garage door to the house. No one was in, and even if they were the members weren't known for their conversational skills. He gave the booklet to Konan when she appeared and took the keys with him to the room. He would need the car again soon.

"_You are nothing to me Itachi. You never were and you will never be." _

He would see about that, now after the seal he would never be able to escape.

Itachi leisurely took off his clothes and went to shower. The next mission would be in three more hours anyway.

* * *

Naruto really didn't want to think about it, but the nagging ache that now surrounded where his heart was not letting his forget.

"_Of all the seals in this damn world he just had to go for that one didn't he? When I see that bastard again next time!"_

"**You wouldn't even be able to lift a single finger. Not that you were able to before either."**

"_Gee how helpful furball. I hope the fact that if I go down you're also coming with me hasn't gone from your useless huge orange head."_

"**Such a child you are. You can't do anything about the seal now anyway. Wait till you get back to konoha and contact 'her'"**

"_Are you crazy? There's no way in hell am I contacting her!"_

'**Then do you really want this to go on? You know what this seal does to you, even at this exact minute. You don't have much time."**

"_I know that! But her! I'm screwed either way aren't I?"_

'**Yes we are.'**

'_Dammit!'_


	8. Kagome! Kagome!

Disclaimer – I don't own anything in Naruto.

Summary - When we lost everything, tomorrow became just a hope. Now the chance to get it back had come, but the question is.. will we be able to? ...

Pairings - Main- ItaNaru, KakaIru and ShikaTema, GaaNeji...others will be mentioned since they're not decided yet.

* * *

**Day 8 – "Kagome! Kagome!"**

* * *

They arrived in the tower of konoha in three days. The fuel they had purchased from the City of Illusions has served its purpose and they had taken turns in driving. The ride back had been silent and oppressing as everyone had been buried in their thoughts.

Tsunade for one had been happy to see them and after finally finishing discussing the mission, had given them three days' rest. Naruto had stayed behind, and no one questioned it.

Kakashi was the first of them to get the notice from the messenger bird on the second day of the short vacation. To a shinobi it was a vacation, since they rarely got any days off from missions. The notice didn't surprise him really, not when Naruto had returned to the tower after 3 years since his disappearance. He knew instinctively when he saw tsunade's expression upon seeing Naruto's face that she would do anything to keep him within the walls of the tower. He wondered how the others would take this notice though.

Sakura could hardly contain herself. She was feeling very emotional and she didn't know which emotion got the best of her at the moment. She was waiting at the traditional garden bridge where the team seven used to meet. The notice had said that they were all to assemble at the bridge for further information.

Leaning against the bridge sakura smiled at the nostalgia she felt. They were so happy back then, so peaceful. Then the world had gone crazy and they all lost everything that had seemed precious.

The wind blew through her hair, teasing pink tendrils to come out of the style sakura kept it at. Wind was rarely felt, as rare as the colors seen in the sky. But these days it had become so common, and sakura wondered why it was.

She looked up to the end of the bridge when she heard the footsteps, she knew who it was from the power and since she was so used to it. Kakashi sensei had hidden himself in the tree, as usual, and they were waiting for the last person to arrive. Sakura wasn't sure if he would come at all.

* * *

'_Kagome! Kagome!_

_When will the bird come out of its cage?_

_The turtle and the crane slipped out at dawn_

_Who's that behind you?'_

_There was the wind, the sound of childish and innocent laughter, and the cicadas were crying in the heat of the sun. _

_The summer in Uzu had been, Beautiful_

_ Beautiful_

_ Beautiful_

* * *

Naruto woke up with a start, the day shined through the gaps of the curtain and he breathed deeply to calm himself.

"**You're going to have a heart attack if you keep acting like that."**

He ignored the voice in his head, the note of disproval made him grit his teeth.

'_It's not like I asked to have nightmares!'_

The chill of the room didn't deter him from walking across the room with only his boxers. The kitchen looked as desolate as the rest of the apartment; no one had lived in it for three years anyway. He grabbed a glass of water and chugged it down, checking the time in the microwave and cursed.

He took his time with the shower and getting dressed, he didn't want to be in that team but Tsunade has been adamant and had even gone as far as threatening him.

He locked the room and walked instead of teleporting.

"**Do you think you can avoid this? You knew this was coming the moment you took the mission from the shukaku jinchuuriki."**

'_Would you shut up? We had a deal to keep paws off each other's business!'_

"**Does the seal bother you that much? It doesn't bother me at all."**

The headache started again and Naruto thought he would lose his teeth from all the grinding he did. The seal Itachi had placed hadn't acted up yet. He didn't want to know when the Uchiha would activate it. The solution for the seal was at the hands of someone he didn't want to talk with, and he hoped Itachi had no idea about her having the ability to remove the seal.

_Why did I remember that anyway? I have a bad feeling about this. _

* * *

Sasuke had sat down at the bridge and started meditating while sakura was practicing healing when Naruto arrived. There were no greetings, they just waited for orders Kakashi had brought with him.

It took few minutes for Kakashi to emerge from the clump of trees he had hidden himself at. He had waited to see if there will be any interaction with the group but had been disappointed to see none forthcoming. He landed on the bridge railing and looked at the group who had their attention focused on him, or at least two had their attention given to him.

"We currently don't have a mission right now. Hokage-sama ordered some D-level missions and basically told us to get used to one another again."

He observed the reactions to his words; while Sasuke was the same with his emotionless face he had a twitch when D-level missions had been mentioned, sakura was the most responsive of them and had sighed and started mumbling. Naruto surprised him though, as his one eye watched the blond who hadn't even turned around from where he had been leaning at the railing.

"Naruto, how about we start with the basic 101 then? Introductions and simple chat? Do you want to go to the ramen stand?"

Naruto felt the heavy gaze of the jounin, as well as sakura and sasuke's gazes on his back and sighed.

"**Back to the acting stage? How will you do this one? Laugh and act stupid? Or just ignore? But that will make them suspicious.. hmm.. choices choices."  
**

'_What do you want Kyuubi? Do you really enjoy seeing humans' miserable?'_

"**Do you even need to ask such useless questions?"**

'_Humans are really... disgusting."_

"Waai! Ramen! Let's go Kakashi-sensei."

Naruto felt his muscles ache with phantom pain as he stretched his lips to smile in a way he hadn't in years. He had wished so much that he wouldn't have to go back to this life, this façade. But he needed this until he escaped tsunade's eyes. That woman was so troublesome, even if he loved her to death.

"Naruto! You're still the same! I knew it! Hehe want it to be my treat?"

"Yay! Really Sakura-chan?"

"Of course not you idiot!"

"Aww!"

Sasuke followed after the vocal duo of their team, but when he shared the look with Kakashi he knew that the jounin noticed it too. The look Naruto had before he had turned around to answer kakashi.

The look of hate.

* * *

After finishing their ramen they had gone to the roof of the academy. There were still children playing around, and sakura had suggested the place as a good place to chat.

"That ramen was good. Aren't you glad that teuchi-san is still around Naruto? Bet you didn't have ramen that good wherever you were."

Sakura leaned back on her elbows as she lay on the ground. Naruto was lying down closer to the railing that signaled the end of the balcony area of the balcony. Sasuke had sat at the edge of the balcony next to Naruto while Kakashi had sat down next to sakura with his book.

Naruto laughed loudly, a sound that brought a relieved smile to sakura's lips. But it only made Sasuke tense, as Kakashi noticed, he was uncomfortable with the blond.

"Nah, Gaara's tower doesn't have Teuchi-san! There were ramen stands but there weren't any as good as Ichiraku's."

"You were at the Suna tower? Why didn't you even let us know?"

Naruto was surprised to hear Sasuke actually asking him something, as was the rest. Naruto closed his eyes and relaxed his body. He didn't want to get into this.

"Well I'm sure Naruto will answer when he wants to Sasuke. How about we just relax for a bit first?"

Kakashi eyed Sasuke and took the glare and turning his head as sasuke's unwanted agreement. Sakura sighed and laid down as well. She gasped when she saw the sky, making Sasuke and Kakashi turn at her.

"Look at the sky! It's blue!"

True to her words the sky was blue with some clouds lazily dispersed. Sakura's amazement was silently shared by Sasuke and Kakashi. The sky had not been blue for years near the tower of konoha.

* * *

The group was silent for the rest of time; there were the sounds of wind, children laughing and insects. Sakura had fallen asleep and Sasuke had gone back to meditating and Naruto found himself dreaming again. Or as Kyuubi liked to call it, remembering.

'_Kagome! Kagome!_

_When will the bird come out of its cage?_

_The turtle and the crane slipped out at dawn_

_Who's that behind you?'_

Naruto stood up shocked and alert when he felt the hands shaking him, almost head banging Sasuke, who was looking at him with narrowed eyes.

"What's wrong? What happened?"

It wasn't Sasuke who answered, but Kakashi.

"Look this way."

Naruto turned his eyes to where Kakashi was sitting beside sakura, who was looking at him wide frightened green eyes when he noticed it.

There was a half transparent figure of a child standing in the middle of balcony and mouthing words, and Naruto didn't need the sharingan to lip read what the child was saying.

The blond stood rooted to the spot, incredulous and fearful eyes riveted at the figure of the child. It was Sasuke who asked the question.

"Why does he look like you Naruto?"

* * *

Kakashi could hardly believe his eyes as he kept looking at the child, like the rest he was transfixed. Naruto still hadn't answered the question and Kakashi knew it whether he answered or not.

The child had appeared some time after Naruto had fallen asleep. The yellow hair the color of sunflowers, and the eyes the color of summer sky, Kakashi sighed and closed his eyes. It was the clothes that made him remember things even more than the coloring of the child.

The tiny figure was clad with white clothes; the long arm shirt had golden shoulder plates that had ancient words and symbols carved on them and the cape was something Kakashi was sure the child loved to play with. The pants would have gold lines on the sides, woven with actual gold thread and the cape was held together with a pin that had a spiral engraved. He knew without looking everything that the child wore.

At first the child didn't say anything but as Naruto seemed to have gone into a nightmare and started twisting around the child had started mouthing words that seemed repetitive. Both Sasuke and Kakashi had their sharingan activated and read what the child was saying but it didn't make any sense to either of them.

And now the child was saying it again and again without stopping and Naruto was starting to looking like he had seen a ghost.

Kakashi sighed before answering the question floating around, and since Naruto didn't seem to coming of the trance any soon.

"That child is Naruto."

Sakura and Sasuke turned wide eyes towards him. The more level headed of the two, Sasuke snapped out the shock first.

"What are you talking about?"

"That is what Naruto looked like as a child; before everything went wrong."

Sakura looked at the child again before looking at him. "What do you mean kakashi-sensei? I thought Naruto was an orphan. But the child… he's wearing…" and she turned her eyes at the child again.

Kakashi smiled through his mask, impressed. _ I guess it's to be expected from the smartest girl of the academy. _

"You recognized the clothes?" at sakura's nod he continued, "Yes. He's wearing the imperial clothes of Uzu no kuni."

He didn't get to elaborate as just then Naruto snapped out his shock, as if Kakashi's words had broken a seal in his mind, and sent a blast of wind at the transparent figure. The figure disappeared in the wind as silently as it had come.

"If you ever talk about that again, Hatake," furious blue eyes sought out the grey and red eyes, "I will make you pay."

And Naruto vanished at that, in the midst of sakura's spluttering and brushing off sasuke's hand that had grabbed his.

* * *

'_Kagome! Kagome!_

_When will the bird come out of its cage?_

_The turtle and the crane slipped out at dawn_

_Who's that behind you?'_

* * *

**Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed the chapter! There are a lot of things about the tower, old war and everything else. I will be explaining them little by little. **

'**Kagome, Kagome!' is a japanese song/ folksong sung when playing tag. **


	9. Curse of the red rose

A/N- Thank you for reading and previous reviews!

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Day 9 – The curse of the red rose- べにばらののろい

* * *

Naruto eyed the seal in distaste; even though the seal itself was artistic and it had been drawn on his chest without a flaw he couldn't bring himself to even appreciate the obviously professionally done seal work. _'Do you think the projection of my memories is a side effect? I don't remember the seal being anything more than soul bond.'_

"**Well maybe the shiki fuuin interferes with it. Maybe your father made the shiki fuuin to mess with other seals on your body. Since you say there aren't any additional characters drawn on that seal it's something else."**

'_Obviously.'_

"**Hmph."**

He drew the yukata around his naked shoulders, tying the flaps together with the thin obi. He went back to the abandoned tea on top of the table over flown with books. The messy scripts and circles of seal lore staring at his face from when he had drawn all the books to read on the effects of the seal, hoping to find something to counter it. He had come up with nothing, the seal being perfect in its making at the old age and no one yet coming up with a counter. _'Maybe I will be the first then.'_

"**You wish you will be the first."**

'_Be quiet if you don't have anything helpful. I don't want your grating voice in my head to mess up with my seal drawing.'_

"**Or maybe you want me to keep going with that fantastic fiasco you started at the rooftop. It will be very amusing to keep replaying that image, stupid human."**

'_I said shut up!'_

He ignored the patronizing laugh that echoed in his mind, just as he refused to think about the 'fantastic fiasco' that made Kyuubi so happy. He looked at the books again, flipping with his one free that wasn't occupied with the tea cup. The seal books had belonged to his father. He smiled softly as he fingered the age old papers that had browned and accumulated dust in its years. His father's books.

The memories threatened to spill again, the paper he was turning flapped feebly back to the side when he abruptly let go of it. Turning to the window of his room he eyed the blue of the sky, returning after so long that people rejoiced as if the world had been saved. Naruto smiled wryly as he thought of the seal, and the supposed beauty of the sky, the irony of the situation threatened to overwhelm him.

He put the tea cup down at the end of the table that was barely free of books or papers. He picked up the books he left before, turning the page to reread the information written by some past seal master. His eyes followed the name given to the seal, making him sick to the stomach. The area around his heart was warming up, as if reacting to his thoughts.

"The curse of the red rose. A seal used to bind one's soul to another, for eternity."

* * *

Sakura helped the child gather the toys that had fallen out of his hands. The boy had bumped into her when he had been running, and her not paying attention to her surroundings, had returned the bump. He smiled and thanked in an exuberant voice making her smile in contrast to her thoughts. She was still thinking about what she had seen only hours earlier. Kakashi had an idea that the image was probably a projection of what Naruto had been dreaming at that time and the seal placed by that man was probably getting in the way. But sakura knew that Naruto was dreaming of a nightmare, so why did the child appear? What made Naruto fear that child so much?

Her head was filled with the image of the child, that small beautiful child Naruto had been as Kakashi said, before everything went wrong. _'But what went wrong?'_ sakura knew that uzu ni kuni had the imperial system before the country was destroyed in the old war. But so many countries were destroyed, konoha village was obliterated off the map. They had all been young, and only some of her age remembered exactly what had happened that day.

'_If Naruto was part of the imperial family doesn't that make him a prince? And who were his parents?' _sakura mused to herself silently. She abruptly stopped in the middle of the road again, unmindful of Ino running and shouting at her from behind. _'Unless Naruto was the son of kushina jou-ou and minato-ou. So that makes him'_, she was turned around forcefully to meet pale blue eyes, not unlike the ones belonging to the one she was thinking of, '_the crown prince.'_

* * *

Ino saw sakura when she had crossed the road and she wanted to talk to her about the mission their teams were supposed to do together now. Tsunade had assigned team 10 to help with the academy along with team 7 for probationary reasons.

'_That shikamaru! When I get my hands on that ponytail idiot I'm going to shave off all his hair', _her head was full of frustrations that had begun from the fateful last mission their team had taken, which led to being on probation. '_The missions wasn't even all that hard so why did he have to go and miss the drop! And the reason? He was sleeping!' _, she wailed in her head.

She hurried forward when she saw Sakura stop in the middle of the road, seemingly hitting an invisible road block. Even sakura's expression was as if she was hit over the head when Ino turned her around hoping to demand what the heck Sakura was thinking. Ino was sure something was wrong with the girl when the first thing that came out of Sakura's mouth were words that didn't make sense, as if she was completing the sentence in her own head.

"He's the one, Ino. He's the crown prince!" and then Sakura began to laugh hysterically, further cementing the fact that she was out of her mind, in Ino's opinion anyway.

"What are you talking about forehead? Anyway did you hear about the academy week for our two teams? You have no idea what shikamaru did! That idiot…. What's wrong with you forehead? You look like an even bigger idiot with that stupid face!" and as Ino hoped that snapped Sakura out of her reverie.

"You're one to talk piggy! Did you even think before wearing that skirt?!"

* * *

Sasuke followed Kakashi as he walked towards the hokage tower, he knew Kakashi was going there to report what they had seen before and hopefully he'll be able to get some answers too. Sakura had gone in a daze and Sasuke hoped that whatever daze she was in would erase her fangirl ways too.

As Kakashi and Sasuke started on the stairs they found Naruto coming down with Shizune. Naruto barely spared any glances at the two men before he nodded to Shizune and continued down towards the end of the stairs. After Naruto had disappeared from the stairs Shizune turned towards Kakashi leaning against the wall.

"Come on Kakashi-san, Tsunade-sama is waiting for you. Naruto told us what happened but Tsunade-sama wanted to know the accounts from everyone present at that time. Can you pass the message to sakura too if you see her?" and with that she opened the door to the office.

Sasuke was still surprised at how the hokage office was positioned in the konoha tower, stuck in the middle of the tower with administration offices that continued downwards the hokage office was in the topmost level of the hokage tower in the konoha tower. '_A tower inside a tower' _Sasuke thought as he entered the office, facing the blonde hokage angrily stamping papers.

"You're late Kakashi. I sent the missive two hours ago. And why is the Uchiha-brat here too? I have some babysitting missions. It'll be funny to set a grown up brat to watch over even smaller brats."

Kakashi turned a page of his icha icha book as Sasuke seethed silently. "Maa maa hokage-sama I saw this brooding little bird and I thought I should help him."

Tsunade lifted one eyebrown before shifting her eyes to Sasuke and laughing. "Well I'm sure you've helped him enough today." Lifting one arm onto the table top she cradled her head on the hand. "So what did you see? I got some plausible theories on what happened from Naruto. So what do you think happened?"

"It was probably a projection of what he was dreaming at that time," even though his pose was relaxed kakashi's eyes were sharp as he met his gaze with the hokage's, "I am assuming that he was dreaming of his childhood at that time."

"That cant be right. He was twisting and turning like he was having a nightmare at that time. If he was dreaming of his childhood wouldn't he be having a good dream?"

Kakashi held tsunade's gaze for few seconds before turning to Sasuke with a lazy smile. "Well who knows. For the projection to be completely unrelated to what Naruto was thinking the chance is very slim, unless the projection itself was self-created or someone else's work." Kakashi's eye found the book again before continuing, "And I think Naruto has few reasons to have nightmares about his childhood."

"Kakashi!" Tsunade's voice and gaze were both fierce when she directed them at the silver haired male. "It's classified. Uchia you better not go poking your nose about or it's going to be cut off."

Sasuke's only answer was a shrug at the calculating bronze colored eyes. "Well since Uchiha brat doesn't seem to have anything to say.."

"I do have something to say." Sasuke's voice mirrored the sneer on his face, "The projection or whatever you're calling it was saying something."

"What do you mean saying something?"

"It kept mouthing the words, there was no sound. It was a song I think. It kept saying 'Kagome kagome' and then something about a turtle and a crane. "

"Isn't that a children's song? Why would the child be saying that?" Tsunade directed at Kakashi who could only shrug in response.

Tsunade sighed and called Shizune. "Kakashi keep an eye on Naruto. I don't know if this is the start of something or an isolated incident. Dismissed."

* * *

Naruto looked at picture memorizing the features of the seemingly timeless face of his enemy before turning his eyes to the next picture. There were four pictures altogether, four for the number of people he had bargained for.

"Death will come for you soon and you will pay for what you've done."

* * *

A/N- I'm looking for a beta reader for this fic too. So if anyone has time for some proofing I'd really appreciate it.

Reviews and follows are wonderful things!


	10. Shadows from the past

Thank you for the reviews and follows! =D

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Chapter 10 : Shadows from the past

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Sasuke exhaled the smoke slowly, enjoying the heat and crackle that he could feel even after he had exhaled the smoke out from his mouth. The tendrils danced in the air before him and then were blown away by the slow wind. He leaned back against the bridge rail again, inhaling at the pipe again he felt the fire erupting in his mouth, repeatedly blowing out the smoke that was created in his mouth when the fire was taken out by the air he inhaled.

Fire weed was something of a new discovery among the towers. They were for fire users who wanted something more than the usual smoke of cigarette. The weed itself was rare and the pipes were usually handed down the generations in clans. Sasuke remembered his father smoking in the patio, usually after afternoon tea.

The pipe belly contains water and when the weed is put there as well it reacts to send a blue smoke that goes through the pipe and is inhaled. The blue smoke ignites in the mouth of the inhaler which then would turn into regular smoke after the fire dies out. Fire users usually guard their stock of the weed jealously.

Sasuke ignored the insisting gaze of the green eyes some feet away from at the bridge. If the woman wanted to talk then she should talk, he didn't need to keep playing to her needs. He felt kakashi's presence some meters away from the bridge, with another presence he could recognize as the teacher who taught at the academy. '_Iruka-sensei_,' he recalled the name, '_Naruto used to love hanging out with that teacher. '_

He watched the smoke dance away again, making patterns in the early morning air. They were to start their D-rank missions today. The hokage had been lenient and only assigned a week of D-rank before they were to take regular missions. The three days holiday was done and the team hadn't met up during those days. Sasuke was glad to have some days without seeing pink hair at the edge of his vision.

Kakashi came to join them with iruka, and then in turn waited for Naruto come to the bridge. Iruka made small talk with sakura, relating memories of days in the academy when they had been young. Naruto arrived only five minutes later. Iruka had been genuinely glad to see Naruto again, and Naruto seemed to return the gesture if his laugh was anything to go by. They promised to have lunch together, just like before and iruka went off to the academy. Naruto turned to Kakashi with a sharp glare the moment the chuunin level elemental user had been gone.

"You take care of him. If he ever gets any pain because of you I will castrate you." Kakashi's only response was to wave the statement away. Sasuke knew he should be surprised but wasn't. Kakashi deserved to be with someone finally, and sakura had finally caught up to what had transpired.

"What? When? And why iruka- sensei?" her eyes were wide and she didn't seem to be able to make coherent thought after the news.

"Maa maa. Don't concern yourself with that. We have to go meet Itsuki-san and help her with her garden." Sakura's groan was the only response.

* * *

Naruto almost flinched when they passed the playing children, hearing the words again made his vision cloud with the memories. He walked with a sort of dual vision for a while, his eyes showing him the present and also the ghost of the pasts. He had ran along a stone path just like the one he was walking on now, back then when he had played in Uzu.

"Kagome kagome!", the words were full of happiness and punctuated with shrieks of childish glee and even louder he could hear the voices from his memories.

'_Naruto Naruto! You're caught!' 'I am not!' 'Hahahaha!'_

They reached the small house in silence. The usual nonsense talk he filled it with was gone. The patron woman came to meet them at the front when Kakashi rang the doorbell, smiling and greeting them before leading around the house to the back.

"The weeds are over growing. I tried everything I could but I don't have time right now with my job to take care of it. There's a party tomorrow so please be careful with the flowers."

Kakashi smiled through his and assured the woman. She left after a while and the team got down to weeding the garden. Naruto got down to weed away from the other two, the garden been divided into three without words. Naruto set about pulling the rough plants without thinking, his mind travelling back to the last time he had to utter the words for that game.

* * *

/flashback/

"Come play with me now Naruto. You don't have anyone to play with today right?"

"But tou-chan told me not to talk to strangers." The laugh he heard from the figure was deep and booming. It reminded him of the laugh Jiraiya gave off. "But you know me Naru-chan, remember?" with that the figure walked into the clearing and away from the shadows of the trees.

"Ah madara oji-san! What are you doing here? When did you get back?" he hugged the tall man he had come to know as a relative of sasuke's. his parents didn't seem to like the man but Naruto liked him enough, madara knew a lot of things and taught him things when he asked. He was the only one who treated Naruto like an adult so Naruto liked him the most from the Uchihas.

"I came back yesterday. I brought you a present." The man laughed out loud again when the young face took on an expression of glee and shouted his thanks. He brought a wrapped box in front of him, giving it to eager hands and watching with keen eyes as the child began to rip at the covering.

"A fox! How did you know I liked foxes madara oji-san?", Naruto yelled as he clutched the soft toy to his chest. The fox toy was bright orange and had, "It has nine tails! I love Kyuubi's legend! Wait," blue eyes narrowed childishly as Naruto peered into the smiling dark haired Uchiha, "Are you a mind reader?" the child whispered.

Madara had decided to play along, he leaned close in reply to the young face and whispered conspiratorially, "No I'm not Naruto." Red eyes watched as the young face crumpled in disappointment before changing expressions quickly into confidence.

"I knew you couldn't read my mind!" the child yelled before turning around to hear his name called. Minato walked forward to meet Naruto, nodding his acknowledgment to the other man. The older blonde smiled and answered the child as he explained his present and how he love Kyuubi and how madara oji-san knew he liked it too. Narrow blue eyes quickly snapped to red ones before focusing on the child again.

Naruto ran into the house after kushina called for him at the house, he turned back only once and saw minato pointing his finger at madara and yelling. Naruto knew father only got red when he was mad and wondered what oji-san had done to make father angry. Since all the time minato had been yelling at him, madara only smiled.

They hadn't talked about madara all that day after he had left. The soft toy was secured in Naruto's room along with the others he had received. Dinner had been the same as usual and Naruto got his favorite ramen for dinner. Naruto had been in his room for full ten minutes to go to sleep before madara showed himself.

"What are you doing here madara oji-san? Did Sasuke make you mad too?" he asked. "The bed is not big for both us you know." Naruto waited for an answer from the still unmoving figure.

"Why don't we play a game Naruto?"

"Now? But its bedtime and I'm sleepy." He rubbed his knuckles against his face. it was late and he was sleepy after playing all afternoon with Kyuubi.

"It'll only take a while. Let's play your favorite game. You like tag don't you?" Naruto nodded eagerly.

"I like playing tag!" madara's smile wasn't any different to child, but the eyes were. "Well I'll start then. You're going to be it naru-chan. No complaints!" he interrupted when the child opened his mouth. "So I'm going to close the door then."

Naruto obediently closed his eyes and heard the older man move out of the room; the door closing and clicking eerily. Naruto woke up next time to the smell of smoke and a burning in his lungs. The door was locked and the house was silent except for the roar of the fire. Naruto never saw his parents or madara again.

\end flashback\

* * *

"Naruto! Be careful with that! You're almost pulling the lady's flowers!" sakura's voice jarred him out of memories. Looking down he saw that he had gotten hold of a flowering plant, almost pulling it out of the earth. He let go of the plant carefully, reaching to the soft petals and running his fingers through them.

"Well looks like Naruto is almost done. You're the one lagging behind sakura. Better pick up the pace." Kakashi opined from the shade of the house.

"Hmph."

Kakashi felt a smile coming up when he saw his three students; Naruto and Sasuke silently pulling the weeds with sakura muttering mutinously from under her breath. It felt good to have them all back. He looked at the blonde standing up and stretching. _'Finally back together at last."_

* * *

Anko handled the dango box cautiously, glaring at anyone who got too close. She was almost at the counter of the shop when she felt a long forgotten presence at the door. She smiled at the boy, _'No a man now.' _ She eyed the clothes and the face, _'A fine man.'_

"Been a while now hasn't it anko-nee?"anko laughed, she couldn't help it. "Sure has been brat. So what bring you here then."

Blue eyes locked onto purple ones, and anko for all her interrogation skills couldn't read the emotion in them. _'No that's not right. There is no emotion._ _What the hell have you been doing brat?"_

"I need help with a seal. You heard of it before. I need a steady hand for the counter seal."

Anko sighed before dropping her precious cargo at the counter, nodding at the man behind the till. "So what's the seal then." She knew it wouldn't be anything good, especially for the brat to come to her.

"The red rose one."

And anko cursed out aloud.

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A/N - Thank you for reading! Reviews are like cookies! they're addicting! ;D


	11. Hiraishin

A/N- Thank you everyone for the follows, favs and reviews!

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Chapter 11 – Hiraishin

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Tsunade rubbed her knuckles over her tired eyes, staying awake to finish the paperwork nearing the deadlines made her angry than triumphant. She sighed again when she remembered the last conversation she had with Naruto and it only made her headache worse. She closed her eyes and turned the revolving chair around to face the window.

The view showed the other side of the tower which seemed so far away yet Tsunade knew as a fact that the tower was running out of space. The amount of people already living and the stragglers that still kept coming in, seeking refuge, that were taking up the rest of the space. The food wasn't a problem as long as there wasn't a drought or something even more disastrous but the space was a problem. _'I hope there won't be a civil war for who gets the corner room or something even more stupid.'_

Thinking of Jiraiya usually brought her spirits back to life for a bit only to go down again, her teammate that she had finally learned to love, only to lose him in the next second. She knew Naruto was as heartbroken as her, if not more. The boy had seen Jiraiya and her as replicas to fill the parental forms for the parents he had lost. _'Wonder what jiraiya would say to Naruto now. The kid disappeared after Jiraiya died, only to turn up with Konohamaru.' _

"Tsunade-sama. Have you finished approving documents?" Shizune took the nod as a sign to continue and relieved the table of the stamped and approved documents. "What are you looking at?"

"The sky is blue today too Shizune. I think it's a bad omen for the sky to stay blue for so many days."

Shizune silently shook her head, her dark bangs shifting and adjusting. "Of course not, tsunade-sama. You know the sky has been blue for only three days now."

"Three days. Ever since Naruto came back." Shizune turned her head to look at her mentor closely. The older blond was deep in thoughts, her eyes seeing the past long gone. Shizune silently left the room and her mentor, steeling her mind to let Tsunade get some rest and divert any visitors.

* * *

"So you're telling me that you want me to draw this seal on your heart? On top of that thing? Don't you 'cheh' me you brat! You come here invading my well earned break and expect me to do this craziness?"

"I don't expect you to do anything crazy. I just expect you to draw the seal." Naruto explained patiently to the fuming woman.

"But you're trying to block the seal that binds your soul, you fool! Do you know what would happen if it goes wrong?" anko looked about the isolated dango shop before leaning close to the blond boy, "It could affect the shiki fuuin you idiot! What if it messes with kyuubi's soul and brings it back here?!", she whispered furiously.

"**Oh it can actually do that? I hope you draw something wrong! Yes yes draw something wrong!"**

'_Shut up you furball!'_

"**How dare you insult the great Kyuubi, you worm! I will haunt your mind until you screw up this seal!"**

'_You are already haunting my mind, you overgrown floppy eared fox!' _

"**I do not have floppy ears!" **

'_Anko doesn't know what will happen if the seal goes wrong! Your half of soul in my stomach could actually go back to the shinigami's stomach where you will enjoy eternal torment with my father as your companion! Do you want that?'_

"**No"**

'_Then be quiet! I can't even hear myself think!'_

"**As if you are capable of doing such tasks. Hmph."**

'_Arrrrrghh you insufferable fox! I'm going to..'_

"Naruto! Focus! I don't care who Kyuubi wants to gut and eat. You need to keep your head here." Blue eyes glared at the woman and anko sighed, running her head through the unruly purple locks.

"Alright fine. I'll draw it out. What do you want me to do after that." Anko grinned back reflexively to the bright smile aimed at her.

"Then you just need to power the seal anko-nee. Just aim your finger at the seal and put a little chakra burst."

Anko peered critically at the paper shoved at her, the seal staring at her in all of its complicated glory. She sighed again before nodding at the blond.

"Alright then. I'll come to your place tonight. I have to get back to my place to get my equipment." Naruto shook his head.

"I have supplies at my place. Just bring your dango and we'll get this done. And nothing anko-nee. I want this thing off of me." The only response was a rapid eyeroll from anko.

* * *

"Sasuke don't go looking for that." Sasuke repressed the urge to twitch as kakashi's silhouette loomed from the end of the corner.

"Looking for what Kakashi?" Sasuke kept his expression neutral as the silver haired man stepped out from the shadows to show his full visage. The older man was nonchalant as ever, icha icha paradise open and in his hand while the other occupied his pant pocket.

"Don't go looking for Naruto, or his past. There are things that are better lain forgotten Sasuke. You should know this better than anyone."

Sasuke cursed as the knowing eye looked at him, and Sasuke knew it will be near impossible to get to Naruto's history with Kakashi on his trail. But what he had seen kept nagging at his brain, the feeling of déjà vu he felt made him feel like he was having brain spasms every second. He felt like he had seen that blond boy before, _'No I have seen him before. But where?'_

"I don't know what you're talking about. I have to go.." he saw kakashi's hand slip into his pocket and emerge with a kunai a second earlier than he had. They both turned to the left of the small clearing of wood they had met at, the amount of killer intent making sweat bead on their brows.

Kakashi lifted his forehead protector from his left eye before calling out, "You are in konoha tower. Surrender and you will not come to harm."

Sasuke's muscled tensed in preparation for a fight, his flight or fight senses kicking in and heightening his senses. His sharingan took only a split second to pinpoint the two chakra signatures, both powerful, and it took another second to realize that he recognized them.

"Why so serious Kakashi-sensei. Can't even recognize your own student and fellow fighter?" Kakashi sighed before pocketing his weapon and lowering the forehead protector to cover the left red eye.

"What were you playing at Naruto? And you too anko, helping him stage something like this." The purple haired woman only shrugged in response before throwing a swift glance at the blond standing in front of her. Kakashi's eye narrowed as he caught the glance before focusing on the blond smiling at the dark haired teammate.

"Man Sasuke you've gotten slow." He goaded and was rewarded with tightening fists to his amusement. "I bet sakura is faster than you are now. She did actually train under Tsunade." Narrow blue eyes gleaming with unsuppressed amusement looked at black ones. "Tsunade was only second of the sannin. Orochimaru doesn't even fit anywhere since he got his ass kicked by Itachi of all people. Can you believe that? Itachi usually avoided Jiraiya, you know."

Kakashi felt the surprise come to him only in fading bouts, but it was slowly building up as he saw Naruto goad Sasuke into a fight. He knew now that the killer intent before had been totally Naruto's. And that only added to the surprise gaining momentum in his head. Naruto was baiting Sasuke that defied all laws he had known so far. He shook his head before trying to control the escalating situation, apparently a moment too late as he was forced to duck when sasuke's Chidori encased hand went where his head was seconds ago.

"Enough Sasuke."

"Yeah Sasuke-kun! Listen to the teacher Sasuke-kun!" Naruto's words and especially the suffix added to his name seemed only to enrage the Uchiha even further, as well as Naruto laughing and dodging around. Kakashi cursed and started when a hand dragged him forcefully through to the trees. He turned his head to glare at anko, but she only looked serious.

"You need to stop Sasuke." Kakashi's demeanor turned serious at her words.

"What do you mean? It's easier to stop Naruto than Sasuke." Anko only shook her head at his response before looking at him again with serious eyes.

"That's the Naruto you knew. You look at him now and tell me what you know about that boy Kakashi."

Kakashi's eyes turned back to the mock battle going on, it was evident that Sasuke was trying to hit Naruto and only holding back barely. But Naruto was still unscathed and laughing. It was that laugh that made kakashi's hair stand up. He could hear what was being said by Naruto and he knew that Naruto had changed for the worse. Just as he had feared when he saw the boy for the first time after years.

"Hell Sasuke you call this a Chidori. What did you even learn from Kakashi? Kakashi's Chidori can make the whole area electrified you idiot. And you're telling me you tried to kill Itachi with this? No wonder you had to come back half dead! You can't get close to that man with shit like this asshole!"

Sasuke grit his teeth before snapping out a reply. "And what would you know about Itachi you dumbass?"

Kakashi's eye focused on Naruto intensely when he felt the atmosphere change, the electricity charge of the Chidori dying down and a faint wind picking up leaves from the ground. Naruto's whole face was free of expression and Kakashi remembered with a jolt that it was what Naruto looked like when they had the first team meeting.

"Oh I think I know Itachi more than you do and ever did, Sasuke." And with that Naruto disappeared only to reappear behind Sasuke. With a swift slap Sasuke was unconscious and Kakashi was still reeling from seeing hiraishin done by Naruto.

Anko looked at the frozen copynin and to the unconscious Uchiha lying on the floor before looking at Naruto standing over the prone body. "Naruto, what did I tell you about losing control brat!"

* * *

A/N- I'm sorry the update was slow! Reviews please!


	12. Stagnant

A/N- thank you reviewing and following the story! makes me very very happy!

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Chapter 12 – stagnant

* * *

Kakashi looked at the silent figure of his once student. He couldn't call him still his student after what he had seen. He couldn't believe the bright child he had seen would change so much. _'He was so full of life and love to share. What exactly happened to make him like this?'_ he shifted his weight to his other leg and watched on as Anko kept yelling at the blond and Naruto just sat and listened.

"… are you even listening to me? If you are talking to Kyuubi again when I'm talking to you I swear I will cut your gut out Naruto!"

Kakashi perked his ears at the mention f the bijuu. _'Anko knew about it? And Naruto was talking to the Kyuubi. It must be a regular occurrence if anko is so casual about it.'_ Kakashi let his eyes drop to the book in hands when sharp blue eyes looked up from the ground and snapped to his visible eye. He felt the eyes scanning him, making him uncomfortable in the intensity of the stare. He was even further unnerved when until anko stopped yelling, Naruto would occasionally look up and stare at him; as if trying to see what Kakashi was thinking. _'Damn brat. Looks like you got the paranoia for a professional too.'_

"Fine I get it already. It's not like I killed him or anything." Naruto whispered the last part but anko had heard it, if her enraged eyes were an indication. Kakashi got up before the start of another curse induced lecture could start._ 'Who knew anko could lecture for so long._ _And worse who knows when she'll end the lecture.'_

Naruto looked at him and nodded at the silent relief reflected in blue eyes. "Come on anko, they are big boys. They can take care of themselves. It's not the first time a fight between those two got out of hand. I don't know about you two but I need to get Sasuke conscious to sakura for dinner. Naruto you're coming with me." The blond shrugged and got into step with him. Anko's resulting could be heard throughout the tower.

Naruto looked at his old teacher from the corner of his eyes, the older man was as relaxing as usual. _'No, not like usual.'_ The thought brought a smile that twisted his normal visage and if Kakashi felt the change of the aura he didn't comment on it.

The two arrived at the restaurant on the 122nd floor with time to spare. Sakura had apparently made reservations early and they were directed to a table in the corner. The restaurant apparently served authentic food from sunagakure. Naruto lifted an eyebrow as he scanned the menu brought for them.

"So what happened?" blue eyes lifted from the menu to look at the silver haired man. Kakashi still had icha icha out but his eyes focused on Naruto. Naruto felt his aura change again, this time the change was abrupt and kakashi's eyes widened at the smirk that graced Naruto's face.

"**Human the seal is acting up. He must have activated it sometime ago. Even if you block your side you will still feel the other end." **

Naruto forced his aura to calm down. The bursts of energy without an origin messed him up. Frankly he didn't want to know what Itachi was doing to make him feel so vindictive.

"Nothing happened Kakashi-sensei. Why would you even think that?"

Kakashi raised the remaining eyebrow. "Do you want me to start at where you were silent throughout a whole D-rank mission? Or where you baited Sasuke to attack you? Or just now when your aura acted like kyuubi's?"

Naruto looked a the face studying him intensely before bursting into laughter. Kakashi's half visible scowl only made him laugh harder. He waved a hand in front of him when Kakashi kept scowling at him.

"Nothing nothing. Just remembering something." He continued at the questioning gaze. "Remember that time when ero-sennin slipped icha icha pages into tou-chan's paperwork? Remember what happened when kaa-chan found out? I still don't know what happened to make it look like you were the one who did it."

Kakashi felt a laugh slipping out when he remembered that incident. He had been in uzu palace for a weekly update from minato and he had been just reporting when kushina had figuratively erupted after finding the pages when sorting minato's paperwork. He remembered that Naruto had also been in the room, when kushina had started on minato the kid had edged along to the wall and almost disappeared.

"Minato couldn't actually say anything because kushina-san was yelling and he just kept pointing at me when he was trying to stop her. I think he was trying to make kushina ask me. Did you know where Jiraiya-sama was during that time?"

Naruto's smile was downright mischievous. "He was disguised as the picture on the wall. It was next to you."

Kakashi's eye widened in surprise before he laughed again, "Prank and watch huh." They both laughed for a while, remembering past incidents. The atmosphere was amiable when sakura and Sasuke arrived, their questioning gazes were waved away by Kakashi.

The rest of the evening went by quickly, recounting old tales and updating Naruto on the recent ones.

"**Good job with that. Now that annoyingly intelligent one will be less wary."**

* * *

\

'_Ne Naruto. Do you know what happened to your parents?" blue eyes stared at the older man in surprise. He shook his head and kept pulling on the grass at their feet. _

"_No I don't." red eyes looked at the silent blond._

"_I do." Blue eyes snapped to red ones. Itachi couldn't bring himself to trust those eyes now. "You have forgotten. You were there, you must remember."_

_Naruto shook his head, denying the possibility. "That's not true. They both died during the old war. I don't know, no one my age remembers the old war." _

_Itachi didn't reply, his red eyes gazing out to the far reaches of the field. It was a secret place for them, Naruto had stumbled upon Itachi and the field when he had been out looking for Jiraiya, and for some unexplainable reason he kept coming back and Itachi didn't kill him. _

"_You will remember. Soon. The time is running out Naruto." Itachi turned his head again, and Naruto suppressed the blush he could feel coming. "You must remember."_

"_Why should I?" Naruto pouted stubbornly. This was the first time Itachi had started a conversation, unlike the times he was the one fill the silence with anything that came to his mind. Itachi wasn't a cruel listened like Kyuubi was, and Naruto soaked up the attention given by the dark haired man like a starved animal. _

_Itachi smiled thinly, the face changing as his aura also lightened and Naruto felt a shy grin of his own turn to the Uchiha. "Because if you don't the world will fall." And with that Itachi left and Naruto felt the world dim. _

_Later Jiraiya found him wondering along the border of the abandoned town they had been staying at, the whiskered face drawn down as if a weight had been dropped onto him. _

_Naruto would find out only years later what he felt, and even after that did he figure out what Itachi wanted from him. Itachi never came to that field again, even though Naruto visited it from time to time. _

/

* * *

"**You've grown soft again. remembering all these things. Even that stupidity you humans call childhood." **

'_Shut it furball. What would you know about humans.'_

"**I know how they taste like."**

Naruto gave a sigh and returned his attention back to the script. The supposed script was an exclusive seal instruction book for the uzumaki clan. And Naruto yet had to find something useful in it.

'_This damn book is all about flowers and shit.'_

He turned the pages haphazardly, only stopping when a seal caught his interest for a second or so. He was almost at the end of the book when he saw the methods for elemental manipulation.

"**Oh, the wood element. Why uzumaki kept that I wonder."**

'_Because it's an awesome element. Now how to learn this.'_

* * *

A/N- thank you very much for reading! It's a slow chapter, only filling in some stuff and showing the next steps.

Reviews and follows are super helpful!


	13. Clockwork

A/N- I don't think I've been disspointed in the Manga like now.. the plot if so cliché! And I bet even orochimaru can't change bodies as fast as Sasuke changes sides!

* * *

Chapter 13 - Clockwork

* * *

Naruto eyed the piece of paper in his hand, the hawk waiting patiently at the window sill for the return parchment to deliver. _'I didn't think he'd move this fast. Did something happen?'_

"**Did you feel anything from the seal?"**

'_No I didn't. Tsunade won't let me get out of the tower for a while.'_

"**Just wait and see what happens. You need to be at point for every incident."**

Picking up the pen and writing out the reply he sent the hawk on its way. He had been back for almost a month now; the apartment used by his parents was now getting cluttered by his belongings. _'Kakashi is still on the lookout and I haven't even found a successful counter seal for the beni-bara fuuin. And now this.. Couldn't he have waited till I was out of the tower?!'_

The knock startled him out of his thoughts and into reality. Naruto frowned lightly as he neared the door, hitching it open a bit to see who was outside. The door was opened wider when Naruto couldn't see anything outside, muscles tightening in wariness before blue eyes spotted the parchment left at his doorstep. With a sigh he picked it up and trudged back inside, discarding the letter onto the table cluttered with mail he didn't want.

"**You should take a look at it. No one ever gave you love letters before."**

Naruto rolled his eyes in exasperation and walked back to pick up the letter, tearing at the edges instantly.

You should cover your steps better.

"**Told you so."**

Naruto's reply was to growl and tear up the letter, the papers fluttering in the hot light wind.

"I don't care anymore!"

* * *

Shizune sighed as she carried the rest of the paperwork for the morning shift to the hokage's office. Tsunade had only finished the morning load when the evaluation reports from the academy and hospital came out late. _'Tsunade-sama's going to be so angry.'_

She sighed again when the heated wind only managed to make her sweat even more.

"Shizune!"

And with that Shizune hurriedly ran up the rest of the steps, barging into the office. "What is it Tsunade-sama?"

Tsunade eyed the papers in her arms before sniffing lightly. "The air conditioner isn't working."

Shizune refused to sigh again as the whine registered in her. She pushed the finished paperwork from the table and put down the ones she had brought in. "There are the evaluation reports from the academy and hospital. The air conditioner will be fixed when the mechanic gets here Tsunade-sama. That will be this afternoon."

Tsunade eyed the new paperwork like it was the plague before replying. "This afternoon? I am the hokage, dammit! If I want that damn electrician here in ten minutes I want him in ten minutes, Shizune! Not this afternoon! And bring me kotetsu, he needs to answer why exactly the reports are late!"

Shizune nodded frantically before speeding out of the office. After making sure that the mechanic would come as soon as possible, and listening to getting kotetsu chewed out for the reports Shizune brought the tea set to the office. Tsunade was stamping the papers with the vengeance as always.

"Tea Tsunade-sama?" bronze eyes looked up with a glare and a nod. Tsunade stopped the stamping once Shizune set the tea cup down, the aroma of jasmine filling the room.

"I don't get what is with this summer. We used to get barely any sun before and now it's a menace!"

They were interrupted by a knock before Shizune could reply. the widening gap of the wood showed ibiki'a grim face. Tsunade was alert in seconds and the room was soundproofed.

"What happened?"

Ibiki nodded in respect before handing out a carefully wrapped scroll. "We just received our regular update from Momoki machi just now." Tsunade raised a brow before opening the scroll and reading it, Shizune just at her shoulder.

"How?"

ibiki's voice didn't betray any emotions, he hadn't done so even during the many wars. "He was only seen there, but according to the multiple villagers going missing and turning up dead few weeks later we assume it was his work. We are currently trying to figure out why Madara showed up now."

Tsunade rubbed at her eyes, "Get Naruto here now."

* * *

"Do you know anything?" Naruto snapped his eyes from the view beyond the window to bronze eyes at the question.

"I have an idea. I'm not too sure yet." Naruto stared at Tsunade, trying to figure out what she was getting at. Kyuubi had resented the idea of telling Tsunade any information, hoping to covet the details for themselves till the end. But Naruto didn't want a repeat of what had happened to Jiraiya.

"He's looking for what we are looking for too. Tomorrow. The time for the next appearance of the portal is near, and madara is trying to make sure you don't get it."

"**You're an idiot."**

'_I won't have her die in vain like Jiraiya.'_

Tsunade sighed and stood up from the chair, making her way around the table to stand in front of it, facing him. "Do you know where the portal will show up Naruto?"

"**Don't say it. Don't you dare say it."**

"I don't. But Itachi does."

Bronze eyes narrowed into a glare and stared at him. "Tell me everything you know."

"**You IDIOT HUMAN!"**

* * *

Kisame had to barely move his head to eye the silent figure of the Uchiha boy talking to Madara. He himself didn't know what exactly Itachi was playing at, talking to the Uchiha elder, but he knew to keep his mouth shut and only watch. Itachi moved away from Madara with a nod and walked back to the car Kisame was leaning against.

"We're leaving Kisame."

Kisame shrugged in response and opened the door to the driver's side but a pale hand stopped him before he could get in. itachi's eyes were red as the blood he spilled from others.

"I'm driving."

* * *

"_Naruto you should stay away from him." Blue eyes looked up from the ramen bowl to look at the older man, a question already forming halfway. "I know you have been going to see Itachi."_

_Jiraiya's serious look didn't waver as he watched the blond choke and gasp. Naruto finally was able to form halting words. "W-what are you t-talking about? I didn't see him anywhere! I.."_

"_Naruto." The rambling came to an abrupt stop as his eyes changed into a guilty look Jiraiya had gotten used to after almost two years of travelling with the boy. _

"_I didn't say anything to him. I swear ero-sennin! You know I wouldn't do that."_

_Jiraiya sighed before looking away from the earnest eyes 'blue blue blue!' and drank slowly from the sake cup. "I know you wouldn't Naruto. But I want you to remember why exactly we are in hiding. We cannot expose you now, you know the risk and the reason for it."_

_He sighed again as he looked at the blond next to him, the yellow hair drooping down as if it was reacting to the mood. "Naruto. Look at me boy." Mournful eyes found his dark eyes and Jiraiya marveled at the __colour__ again. "Itachi knows you. And I mean he knows probably more than you know yourself. What if I told you that Itachi one that even I would avoid like hell?"_

_Naruto didn't reply or move, only staring at Jiraiya. "I want you to be careful Naruto. He's a lot more dangerous than you would think or imagine. Do you understand?"_

_The spikes drooped down again as the head turned to the ramen bowl again. "I understand." Jiraiya sipped at the sake again before deciding to cement the argument. Naruto needed to stay away from Itachi, and Jiraiya would rather die than let that Uchiha near his godson. _

"_I know you don't remember anything about that night," the older shinobi continued despite the stiffening shoulders of the younger one, "but Itachi was there the night your parents were murdered." _

_Jiraiya only had to wait a few seconds for it to register with Naruto. The head turned and Jiraiya was glared at with red slit eyes. "What did you say." _

* * *

"Is there a reason why we're at Momoki machi?", Kisame regretted asking the question the moment the dark eyes turned to him.

"Wait here. I'll be back in a moment." And without waiting for a response the Uchiha was out of the car. Kisame rolled his eyes and settled down for a good nap. following itachi right now would be suicidal, he would wait for his opportunity.

Out of the car Itachi turned back to regard the car before walking away quickly. He neared the run down house with a simple illusion to cover for him and entered it. The dark figure in the corner turned to him and with a nod from Itachi, dissolved into nothingness.

'_You have done well, karasumaru.'_

"_**It was nothing. Humans have a habit of only seeing what they want to see. It was fun to spill their blood, and tasty crunchy morsels they are. With this our end would start moving then?"**_

'_Yes. Sasuke knows what to do.'_

* * *

A/N- this chapter didn't get anything moving either *sigh* I need to get the plot moving!

I am still looking for a beta!

Reviews are much much appreciated!


	14. Shot

A/N: Ah another update! I have so many ideas for this story that I don't know how to get them all together!

* * *

Chapter 14: Shot

* * *

Naruto sighed as he scanned the run down wooden houses and darkly dressed villagers walking about. Tsunade had given the team special permission for this recon mission. Sai wasn't present since he had apparently gone on a mission with Yamato so the old team 7 was finally doing a real mission, years after disbandment. Kakashi was off to the side with sakura and Sasuke walking ahead to the village.

They had initially thought about splitting up but Kakashi went against the idea until they had some sort of new information. _'Tsunade probably told him to keep his eyes on me.'_

'_**This is what you get for your stupidity. I told you to keep your mouth shut!" **_

Naruto mentally rolled his eyes at the demon before continuing to scan the surroundings. Kakashi straightened up his posture and nodded at him. Naruto sighed and moved forward to follow Kakashi into the village and stopped at once. The red haze filled his vision and in seconds his muscles were edgy with anticipation. For anyone looking at Naruto, his eyes would have changed into red and teeth would have a animalistic edge. He looked around cautiously, and few steps ahead Kakashi had stopped and was alert too.

"_**It's him! But I thought it was madara?"**_

'_There's something wrong here. We need to meet up with the spy soon.'_

"What is it Naruto?" Kakashi was right in front of him now, his eyes looking around for a threat. Naruto slowly relaxed and replied.

"It's nothing. I thought I smelled something."

Kakashi's visible dark eye narrowed slightly. "What was it?"

Sasuke and sakura were heading in their direction now, and Naruto quickly corrected himself. "It was nothing. I think I just confused some scents."

"_**Hurry!" **_

"Come on Kakashi sensei. We need to get the information from the villagers. We should probably split up to cover ground quickly." He raised his voice slightly when the other two reached them "We're drawing straws!"

Sakura was quick to react to that statement. "What? Why? We can just split up as usual."

Naruto laughed, already into his act after weeks of laying it on thickly. "But we should do it fair and square right sakura-chan?"

Sasuke was the one to get a piece of paper from his pack and divide it. After the four had pieces of paper they compared the thinly ripped slips. Sakura's displeasure could be felt like a physical blow. Naruto waved cheerily at her, ignoring her glare, as he watched Kakashi and sakura walk to the west side of the village. He turned back to face his silent partner to scour the east side of the village.

Naruto didn't bother to break the silence between them, instead focusing on planning to get away from Sasuke when the other spoke up. "I'll go look this way, you go the other way."

"_**Oh?"**_

"Yeah alright. Meet you back here in half an hour then." The dark haired boy nodded before walking off the to the other street in the forked junction and Naruto faced the street left for him.

'_How convenient.'_

"_**Too convenient."**_

'_Yes.'_ Naruto looked back at the street Sasuke had gone off to but Naruto couldn't find the Uchiha anywhere. There weren't many people in the street but it was full of buildings while Naruto's street faced the side of the village fields. He sighed again before setting off on the path, looking to find a person who looked easier to approach. But all the villagers looked uneasily at him.

'_Looks like the recent murders got hold of many imaginations.'_

"_**I could give them a bloodbath to give them something to remember as truth." **_

'_No.'_

Naruto looked at the building that was slightly off the path. It looked like an abandoned farm house but when he got closer he saw the silhouettes behind the closed windows. He quickly scanned around him and slipped behind the building, staying out of sight from the windows. It took only seconds to duplicate himself and then disguise himself. The duplicate kept walking towards the woods off the path, and Naruto slipped back to the path to walk back to the village.

He reached the dilapidated sake-ya in minutes and slipped inside. The dingy room was filled with smoke and a faint smell of vomit. He silently flit into a room on the side and waited. The lone waitress approached the table and Naruto ordered the regular drink that was a code between the spy and himself.

The waitress moved back towards the elevated table that was situated as a bar and came back with a blue sake bottle and a chipped cup. He waited until the girl had left and discreetly eyed the scarcely crowded room before tipping back the cup from the turned over position and subtly pocketing the tiny paper. He reached the woods that his duplicate had gone into from behind the sake-ya, hobbling and bent among the villagers. He reached his duplicate and the other dispelled and Naruto settled down to decipher the coded message. It took two minutes for him to decipher the two sentences, and another minute for it to sink in.

'_**She's a fine female. Very good with her job."**_

'_Yes she is'._

The southern crow arrived on the full moon.

Death came with the crescent moon.

'_So there were two of them. But if Itachi arrived with Kisame, then was madara already here? It doesn't make sense for two Akatsuki members to show themselves in this village to meet up with its leader.' _

"_**Yes, unless it wasn't Madara."**_

Naruto could feel his forehead scrunching at the new idea. _'But why? Itachi would not show himself unless there is a reason to. And the reports all said it was Madara.' _

"_**No the reports said that the villagers gave a description that looked like Madara. None who actually knew that bastard was here to identify him."**_

'_If that's true then why would Itachi go through all this trouble to frame Madara for the murders of a couple of villagers from nowhere?'_

"_**Unless he wanted YOU to come here." **_And Naruto stopped midstride on the road, shocked.

'_It still doesn't answer the question why.'_

"_**When you got the report from the female before, she said she saw Madara. Itachi arrived here only yesterday."**_

'_So?' _

"_**He only showed up when he was sure all the spies had already reported. And the hokage woman only knew it was Madara who showed up. Itachi was never in the reports." **_

'_SO?'_

"_**You useless human! Itachi probably knows who the spy is! And he is using that knowledge to send a message only to you! And the smaller Uchiha brat went off!"**_

'_What does Sasuke have to do with this?'_

And before Kyuubi could answer the screams started; and he followed the sounds to arrive at the sake-ya. There was a man scrambling away on his back at the entrance, probably the one who screamed. But the insides were what drew Naruto's anger. He had already gone inside when the other three arrived.

The whole room was decimated with debris and body parts everywhere. There were streams of thick blood all over the walls, the ceiling and the floor was soaked with it. The waitress's head was two feet away from her body and the barman's neck was a gaping slit. The two patrons of the old sake-ya were slumped over the table they had been drinking at, bodies slashed across and red from the blood.

Sakura approached each of the dead bodies and did a brief autopsy of each while Naruto was walking around the room. "It looks like a typical massacre. Someone wanted to put on a show, and did a bad job with it."

Kakashi glanced up from his book at the doorway. "Why would you say it's a bad job?"

Naruto smirked at him and pointed at the print on the floor; a single sandal imprint in a single blood-free spot of the floor. "He was sloppy."

Kakashi pocketed the orange book and walked forward as the other two came close to see too. "How interesting. It's a ninja sandal print."

Naruto nodded and walked to the door. Sakura looked up from where she was crouching next to the footprint. "Where are you going?", but Naruto didn't wait to reply.

"_**I told you so."**_

'_Shut up.'_

Naruto's seal on his was throbbing, and he didn't need that to tell him that Itachi was ready for a kill. It annoyed him that he could sense the other man like a part of himself.

_**"Well he sure did a hell of a job with that seal if you feel that way."**_

* * *

Kisame eyed the silent and still figure of his partner on the other side of the room. They were waiting for the signal to finish a assassination job. Kisame didn't like assassination jobs, they were too quiet and short for his like. Give him a bunch of people and tell him to start a bloodbath and he would be the happiest man alive. But Itachi lived for assassinations, and to Kisame watching the way Itachi killed was like watching someone paint. It was an art.

He wasn't too unhappy with his forced choice of a companion. On the contrary he was very satisfied with being stuck with the Uchiha boy, Kisame just wished that the boy would talk sometime. _'Meh at least I'm not stuck with hidan or deidara.'_

Sometimes Kisame was tempted to talk to the boy, tell him to stop whatever he was doing because Madara knew everything. But he didn't. He didn't act or look like a man with any kind of honor, but Madara was too ingrained in his past for him to disobey him. Kisame knew from the start that he would have to give up everything to keep Madara's secrets, but at this point he was far too gone to look back.

The small abandoned building of the lightening tower they were at weren't the best standards in kisame's opinion. _'Why the heck is a high class delegate in a place like this anyway?'_

The vibration of the phone on the wooden floor echoed lightly across the room and Kisame watched as the Uchiha straighten up from leaning against the doorway. Itachi crossed the room in two steps and was crouching at the edge of the broken window in seconds. Kisame waited stand by at the door, watchful for anyone. Their target this time was something they needed to be sensitive about.

Kisame turned slightly to alternative watch both the hallway and Itachi. The Uchiha stretched out his arm. Kisame could never understand how Itachi controlled something as instable as the dark power of the infamous high order chaos demon: karasumaru. Itachi could call it out, control it and effectively attack and defend at the same time. Then with the power that came from his sharingan and it's techniques, Itachi was invincible. And as he watched opaque tendrils of karasumaru's black chakra hovered from the arm, slowly collecting in the air above the arm. The roundish cloud of black matter slowly took the shape of an arrow and moved to the window.

Kisame turned back to the hallway for another minute as he watched Itachi lean slightly to watch the street below. The black arrow was still hovering next to Itachi's head, waiting for the prompt from the owner for the kill. Kisame's keen ears heard the rumble of engines as the three cars of their target and escorts stopped in the street below. Itachi lightly raised his arm and the arrow quivered lightly, Itachi's intent accumulating in the power. Kisame eyed the hallway and was about to stretch his senses to scan the surroundings when the single bullet grazed the tip of his nose and headed straight for Itachi.

Itachi jumped aside and the arrow dissolved in black smoke but both men didn't stay to watch it disappear. Kisame had jumped ahead from the window into the metal balcony of the window and tensed his muscled and jumped across to the next building. His fingers grasped the granite sill before he tightened his abdomen and pulled his legs up to the sill, pushing against it and jumping to the edge of the roof and grasping it. He pulled himself on top just in time to catch sight of a dark brown cloak as the shooter jumped down from the roof. Itachi was there the next second and they raced to the other end and jumped down.

The motorcycle rider raced along the emptied street with the shooter at his back. By then Kisame was angry enough to have his temper affect the water of the puddles around the street. The water sloshed around in agitation and Itachi calmly walked back towards their car. Then Kisame got in immediately as the Uchiha floored the gas pedal and they were racing towards the bike. It was several meters ahead but the street had been emptied before for the delegate they had been unsuccessful in killing.

A minute later there was the sound of bullets being fired and the small metal pieces rained on the windshield. Half a second later Itachi was cutting on the sides and the car was fish tailing on the road. The bike raced ahead while Kisame turned back and loaded the emergency guns. He would have to do with them until he got his power up to control the water in the sewers in a minute.

* * *

A/N: Got the idea for a chaos demon from FFVII. Vincent is super cool!

Kisame's akatsuki ring says 'south', it's a hint for the coded message.

Please review! And thank you for reading!


	15. Two-headed dragon

Chapter 15: Two-headed dragon

* * *

Naruto tightened his one one arm grip onKiba's waist as the bike served and tilted crazily on the slippery road. They had gone to the more populated area of the lightening tower and it wouldn't be too long before the shinobi of the lightening tower got to the chase too. Itachi and Kisame had been on their tail for half an hour now, he would have never have imagined it from Itachi to drive like a maniac; it was more kisame's style to go crazy.

Kiba's muscled tensed as the car got too close and the water from the sewers created a tunnel around the bike, he turned back and aimed the second he got a clear view of the passenger side and let out a torrent of bullets from the automatic Kiba had brought. His .99mm had only one bullet left.

"_**You should have thought this out better. It will be the end of you unless the other humans get here soon?"**_

'_Well I didn't think there would be such a hardcore chase! And me nor Kiba wants to stick around here and end up in jail!'_

"_**You're bound to that Uchiha boy eternity! You should know what he can do!"**_

"NARUTO! I REALLY DON'T CARE ABOUT WHAT KYUUBI WANTS RIGHT NOW! SHOOT!" Kiba's voice came muffled but loud. Naruto turned back a second earlier to miss the dark beam that chopped off a lock of his hair.

"Goddamn you Itachi!"

* * *

"Itachi we need to get out of here before the lightening shinobi get here." He gripped the overhanging handle ever tighter when Itachi cut across another car. _'I don't want to end up in a double suicide with another man!_

"It doesn't matter. If they get here it'll be easier for us." Kisame risked a glance at the other and regretted it almost instantly. And when he heard the shout from the bike the air around them crackled with malice. "I was hoping it would be him." Then they were shooting forward and closed on the bike, more bullets grazing their car and forced Kisame to duck while Itachi merely deflected them with the dark matter. _'Damn you Itachi!'_

_Xxx_

"Kiba I'm running out of bullets. We're near the Kamikaze bridge, jump the bike onto the curb and then to the underground highway."

Naruto's voice was muffled but incessantly loud. Kiba chocked on air when he heard the proposed plan. "The kamikaze bridge it 10km away from the bottom of this highway! You want me to jump the bike 10km into nowhere?!"

'_I didn't sign up for this!'_

When he was assigned to pick up Naruto from lightening tower he hadn't thought much of it. It was just six hours to the tower and he could get a souvenir for Hinata from there too, since their one year anniversary was coming up. He was going to plan it big for her, but the work at the animal clinic and shinobi missions clogged up and he was already late to reserve a good restaurant. Neji was keeping an eye like a hawk and he just KNEW that the other man would go and complain to the Hyuuga head if Hinata didn't get something big for the anniversary. And Kiba wanted it to be perfect for hinata, she was the best thing that had happened to him all his life!

Then he got to the rendezvous point and there was Naruto jumping onto the bike and screaming something. The moment he saw Itachi land behind the bike _'one frigging meter behind the damn bike!' _his instincts took over and they were hightailing out of the alleyway. Then of course the car was chasing them like there was no tomorrow.

'_And now this?! I am NOT going to double suicide with a frigging guy!'_

"CONCENTRATE KIBA! WE NEED TO GET THE HELL OUT OR WE'RE DEAD!"

Kiba swore as he served dangerously to the right to avoid the truck that braked in front of them. He had just turned and was speeding when the Akatsuki car's bumper neared them. _'Was that a click? Did I just hear a click of the bumper on my damn bike?!'_

"GODDAMN KIBA IF YOU DON'T DO IT I WILL MAKE YOU!"

He served left away but was cut away from the silver sedan Itachi was driving got there first. The car was pushing them away from the railing, which had the exit to the underground highway that led to the next city. He was about to overtake the car in front of them and push onto the highway when he felt arms coming around them and black gloved hands grabbed the handlebars.

"THE PEDAL! FLOOR THE PEDAL!"

Kiba glimpsed the smirk on itachi's face and then the bike was scraping along the car trying to push it onto the railing.

'_Oh Kami we're going to die. Hinata ple-'_

* * *

"Goddamn that damn brat! Itachi stop! No hell no!"

* * *

Sasuke eyed the paper he was holding skeptically. He had sneaked himself into the library and was now hidden away in the history section. He sighed and rubbed knuckles against his temples tiredly. He had been here for hours, and had yet to find something relevant to do with the royal family of Uzu. He threw the browned book away to the pile of useless books and grabbed the next one on the pile. It was old and papers and dust was falling out of the book. He eyed it again before checking for a title in the cloth covering. There was none. He opened it to a random page in the middle and read the handwritten paragraph.

'**The history of the Uzu no kuni can be dated back to the original shinobi world that came before the establishment of the villages. In the time before the villagers when each clan fought for their survival-'**

'_Bingo'_

He was immersed in his readings and almost missed the person that passed by the shelf he was hiding out in. _'Oh shi-'_

"Sasuke-kun? Why are you-? I see. So you're looking for it too. Good."

And sakura settled down in front of the used pile and pulled out old worn books and began reading. Sasuke stared for a minute before going back to the book and reading. Sakura started rummaging her bag and pulled out scrolls and spread them out. He eyed them with hidden curiosity when he noticed something like a family tree drawn out extensively in one paper. Sakura snapped her fingers and smiled mischievously when he turned to her.

"You can look at them if you want. I found out some information after talking to Ino's father and Choji's father. I couldn't find Shikaku-san but the other two said he would remember the most. I drew this out from the information I got from them."

Sakura's green eyes stared at him steadily, and he was impressed for a second. "I trained under Tsunade-sama. Don't underestimate me. I was the top of our class in smarts."

He didn't deem it with a reply before reaching out to the family tree. Sakura had drawn it cleanly and extensively, with small descriptions of information about each person. The tree was drawn from bottom and reaching for the top. _'Smart. Since we only know one descendant.' _Naruto's parents were named Namikaze minato and Uzumaki kushina. According to sakura's chart Kushina was the one with the royal blood and she had met and married Minato after fleeing Uzu when it was being attacked. Then according to the history notes written on the side uzu was declared as destroyed, its people and culture scattered around the remaining villages.

He scanned the other links in the family tree, there weren't any he recognized. After placing the family tree on the ground again he picked up the old book to keep reading. There was so much information about the uzu and its center-point village, uzushiogakure, that it was overwhelming. He activated his sharingan and kept reading.

"**The royal king or queen was chosen from the mark of the two headed dragon. The sign will appear in the vessel of the two-headed dragon with the ability to rule uzushiogakure."**

'_That's interesting. The mark of the two headed dragon. I've heard that one before, but where?'_

"Sasuke-kun it's late. They'll close the library soon." The pink haired girl gathered the papers and books and packed them. Sasuke didn't move or show he had even heard her. She stood up and hesitated, lingering by the shelf but to sasuke's surprise she was gone with a soft good night. He stared at the browned papers of the book before turning the page and almost seeing double. The page had a picture inked into it, a man with long spiky black hair, the middle man with long dark hair and another man with short red hair. The red was fading in the inked picture, but the features and the smiles of the two men were clear. He recognized the first hokage and madara immediately; they were two of the most famous people in konoha's history.

His eyes then fell to the caption written under the picture, naming the people in the picture.

"**From left: Uchiha Madara, Senju Hashirama and Uzumaki Ryuunosuke. Ten years later, Uchiha Madara was declared a traitor, Senju Hashirama became first hokage of konohagakure, Uzumaki Ryuunosuke became royal king of uzu no kuni."**

Sasuke stared at the picture for a while, looking at the faces of the three young men who probably had no idea of what would become of them later in life. The faces were full of smiles, the three probably sharing some inside jokes and being friends. He looked at madara's and hashirama's faces, the two faces of the best friends of the group. The third red haired man had a cheeky smile and had an arm hanging onto hashirama's shoulder. _'Reminds me of Naruto somehow.' _He looked closer and spotted a black dot on the cheek of the uzumaki, and his hands instinctively reached to rub away the smudge on the picture to no avail. Ignoring the smudge he went back to reading.

"**Even at this time of age Uzumaki Ryuunosuke has the mark of the two-headed dragon. The sign revealed itself on Ryuunosuke's face a year before this picture. The mark could be found anywhere on the physical body of the vessel."**

'_A tattoo? A black tattoo of a two-headed dragon'_

He flipped the pages quickly, trying to track the royal family lineage and find Uzumaki kushina's name in there somewhere. But the book was empty three quarters of the way, abruptly ending the handwritten notes of someone probably close to the royal family, or a scribe who recorded the royal family. The notes ended shortly after Uzumaki Mito's wedding to Senju Hashirama, Mito apparently had a notable amount of power and was the sister of Ryuunosuke. After kyuubi's defeat Hashirama had requested Ryuunosuke's help in sealing Kyuubi into mito. Then after that the notes ended, the last note mentioning nothing about the next vessel of the two-headed dragon.

'_So concluding this Kushina was probably the daughter of Ryuunosuke. She would have been evacuated first out of the village if she had the mark. Kyuubi's attack marked the start of the end of the old war. But the yondaime was alive after that. He died four years after the Kyuubi attack.'_

His mind was still trying to connect the timelines when a speaker echoed around the library, announcing the closing. He packed the books back and left, mind still going through the handwritten notes he had memorized with the had only gone ten steps from the library when Kakashi materialized.

"I told you to stay out of it Sasuke."

Then there were to more ANBU on his sides. He glared at Kakashi but the infuriating man only shrugged. "They won't put you in chakra chains if you comply. We're just going to see the hokage anyway."

After unceremoniously leading him through curious and gossiping people they arrived at the hokage's tower. The door opened and he faced the unimpressed gaze of the hokage.

"So what did you find out brat. Depending on how much you know, we'll let you."

He inclined his head back when the door slammed close and couldn't hide his surprise to find Naruto removing his hand from the flat wood. His shirt was unbuttoned, but the skin underneath was wrapped tightly with bandages. "Talk Sasuke. And while you're at it you better explain why you killed my spy too."

Blue eyes bored into his before turning away to head to the hokage's desk and Sasuke felt another painful sense of déjà vu upon seeing the turned back and the blond hair.

* * *

"_Sasuke! Sasuke!" he tore his eyes away from the tall blond man now walking ahead of them to face another blond. The usual bright blue invaded his vision and he back away with a small grunt. _

"_Naruto don't come into my face like that stupid."_

_The small face scrunched up in annoyance before falling into a bright smile again. Sasuke had known Naruto for a long time but the abrupt mood changes always made his surprised. A small pudgy hand held up a bright toy and shoved it into his face a second later._

"_Naruto!"_

"_Look daddy bought us a kite! He said we can play with it! And I'll show you this new cool move he taught me too! With that I can make it fly higher!" _

_Sasuke caught the bright colored kite and looked at the square with a big smiley face drawn in the middle. He huffed at the face but put his hands up to cover his face when the wind blew fiercer around them._

"_Naruto cut it out! We can't fly it here!"_

"_But I want to fly it now!" he heard a childish voice exclaim to his left and he turned automatically. He was about to tell Naruto to stop when a female voice rang across the garden, loud in its anger._

"_Uzumaki Naruto! You stop that at once young man!"_

_The wind died down abruptly and he pulled his hands down to glare at the sheepish Naruto. Kushina strode down the steps from the veranda and was next to Naruto in seconds._

* * *

"I remember you."

blue eyes, now familiar in its color and shifts, widened before Naruto smiled. _'Just like before.'_

"Then you can explain to me even clearer, why exactly your uncle killed my parents, Sasuke."

* * *

A/N: Another chappie! Please review! Writers live on those! Thank you for reading!


	16. Psyche

Chapter 16 : Psyche

* * *

Tsunade ran a hand across her face before grabbing the sake bottle to refill her cup. Naruto was seated at the window sill, silent and still. Sasuke was seated across from her desk, eyeing her briefly before turning away to watch Naruto.

'W_hat a waste of time and efforts. The Uchiha boy won't talk, and we can't even make him talk because of his status. That damn council.'_

"So you only remember some parts of your memories with naruto? You don't remember madara from your childhood at all?", she continued after the slight nod, speaking slowly as if to a child. "So what happened with the spy?"

Dark eyes narrowed and glared at the blonde by the window before focusing on her again. "I don't know what you're talking about. What spy?"

A scoff sounded from the window and Tsunade looked at the Naruto when he moved to the door. _'I am too old for this.'_

"Where do you think you're going?"

Blue eyes glared at her before turning without answering. A slammed door was her only response from Naruto.

"You can go Uchiha. You requested leave right? I'm giving you two weeks off starting from three days later. Stay away from Naruto."

This time the response was nothing.

'_I need a pay rise for dealing with these brats.'_

* * *

"_**You were careless. You should have handled that better."**_

'_Lay off my case Kyuubi! I don't have time to deal with th-'_

"Argh!"

He grabbed his chest, tightening the grip to somewhat control the pain from the seal. _'What the hell is he doing now?'_

"_**Probably another kill."**_

'_It's not. It feels different somehow.'_

Gasps were coming out from him and he wobbled to the side and leaned on the wall, trying to get a grasp of what he was seeing and what he was feeling.

'_Oh no no no.'_

"_**Naruto! Get a hold of yourself, boy!"**_

But he couldn't hear, or feel. The darkness seeped in before he hit the ground.

* * *

_He felt hands running on him, bringing sensations he had only ever felt in dreams and guilty temptations. Soon the pleasure was rising and the end came. He smiled in response to the other and felt sleep close over him. _

_Morning came too soon and he was up, blinking blearily and half coherent. The other had left, just as he had thought he would but it still hurt to know it. Grabbing the sheets and limping to the bathroom he washed and cleaned himself slowly, relishing the warmth of the water. The cloths were at the same place as they had been thrown away the night before and he felt the emptiness when he sat on the bed. Even through the increasing heat from the rising sun, and the sounds of people walking in the hallway the blankness inside him was disconcerting and unnatural. _

_He couldn't feel Kyuubi._

* * *

He gasped and felt his eyes rolling in the sockets. His body was moving somehow, and he could dimly hear people talking. He tried to open his eyes, only managing to open them to a little slit. Yellow, pink and black obscured his vision and he promptly lost consciousness again.

* * *

_It was twisting and writhing inside him, the emptiness felt like it was eating him alive. The world he could see and hear did not matter somehow, he felt like he was inside a bubble. Not feeling or comprehending, only seeing. _

_The only time Kyuubi had been gone was when orochimaru had blocked it, and even then it felt so abnormal he hadn't been able to keep his concentration. Now after all these years it just felt as though a part of him had been cut off. _

_He walked until the familiar building was near. He entered the inn and finally went inside the room. Jiraiya was off snoring in bed, the empty sake bottles were thrown haphazardly around the room and it stank of alcohol and sex. He fell onto his own futon and saw his knees crop up to his chest, his body curling onto itself. And he slept._

* * *

The room was full of light, and there was a breeze floating in from somewhere on the right side. He could pick up a heated whispered conversation near where he was lying. He tried opening his mouth a couple of times before managing a word.

"where-"

"Oh naruto! You're awake! We were so worri-"

His eyes closed and the ensuing darkness came again.

* * *

_His body was being shaken and there was a voice saying his name. His eyes opened reflexively before he felt consciousness regain itself. He looked up at the hazy profile of Jiraiya, managing a weak smile. The older man sighed in relief before dropping down next to him._

"_I couldn't wake you up. What happened?"_

_He still felt out of it, and the emptiness was still there; eating him._

"_I don't know. I can't feel Kyuubi."_

_Jiraiya's familiar rough hand pressed down on his bare stomach and he felt probing power run through. He eyed hands, they were shaking._

"_Naruto. Where were you last night?"_

_He couldn't look at the dark knowing eyes, the shaking was increasing, and he wrung his hands together._

"_Nowhere."_

_The bed relaxed when the heavier weight got off, the man walking around to rummage in his rucksack. A second later Jiraiya was kneeling in front of him, a rice paper and calligraphy set in hand. _

"_Don't lie to me boy."_

_He felt his whole body shaking; his stomach was in taking in turns to knot up and then have jumping frogs in it. His mouth was dry and he could feel the blankness in him rushing up to his throat, in a minute he would be swallowed. _

"_I… I was with Itachi."_

_He couldn't bring himself to look at jiraiya's face, but the clean pen stroke was angled now, and there was ink dropping onto the rice paper, soaking it in black. _

"_Why?"_

_The black was taking over the whiteness of the paper, steadily gaining more area, creeping onto the edges of the pure paper. Naruto waited for the blackness to take the whole paper before replying. _

"_I love him."_

_The pen was taken away from his field of vision, knees straightened out and Jiraiya stood up. It only took him forty five seconds to leave the room. Naruto counted. The pureness of the rice paper was gone and it was stark black. Naruto could feel the void staring at him from inside him. _

_Silence had teeth; it gnawed at his bones and heart._

* * *

Someone had closed the window, but the room was still lighted. He could feel a presence in the room but was too tired to pinpoint its location. He sighed again before dwelling into the past.

* * *

_Jiraiya came back at night, smelling of alcohol and was drunk. Naruto hadn't seen it this bad since his parent's death anniversary months before. He grabbed the drunken hand moving around and shouldered some of the weight before dropping Jiraiya onto the bed. Even drunk Jiraiya was silent in the room, seconds later the room filled with snoring. _

_Naruto laid down on his own bed, somehow_ _comforted by the snoring of the sannin. Instead of the silence now guilt stole into him. _

_The morning came faster than he had expected when he had been staring through the window the whole night. He was already packed by the time Jiraiya woke up, and watched as his godfather packed his stuff and went silently with him. The journey back to konoha was silent, and jiraiya's disapproval was palpable. He went about his day after Jiraiya left him at the hokage tower, when he went to see Tsunade the next day Jiraiya had gone away. Naruto went about that day in a normal routine too, even with the blankness and hate he was waiting for Jiraiya. _

_And then Jiraiya was dead._

* * *

He tried to open his eyes again, but the lids felt like lead. He hoped there was someone around, and he couldn't even try to get his bearings through the mental confusion.

"Wa-t-err"

His head was cushioned by a hand before there was water at lips. He had only taken two gulps before the water was taken away. He could move his hands, even when desperate for the water.

"You need to take it slow. Don't drink all of it at once."

His muscles and mind relaxed at the female voice. _'Tsunade baa-chan.'_

"It's the 14th of august. You've been out of it for three weeks now. And from the readings we did you will move in and out of consciousness for at least two more weeks. Did you he-"

* * *

_The book was well worn with dog-eared pages. Messy handwriting with unusual spots littered here and there in some pages, there was even what looked like blood at the edge of a page. Tsunade gave it to him two days ago, after the funeral. They hadn't been able to find the body, and no one knew if Pein had taken it. _

_He had finished reading the book only minutes ago, but his brain was digesting it slowly. The truths and deeds of the life of Jiraiya was a heavy burden and many would pay to have that information. He stared unseeingly at the room before his gaze sat on the lighter._

_He grabbed the book and the lighter, proceeding to burn the written account of jiraiya's life. He was sure Tsunade had a copy somewhere; at least she must have read it sometime. With what he knew now, he wasn't sure about anything anymore. _

_He had to force a sleep seal on him that night, and when he woke up the next day it was to banging on his door. He raced with kiba to tsunade's office, a premonition of something warning him from the back of his mind. Minutes later, in Tsunade's sunny room, he found out that Jiraiya had gone to see Itachi, but a trap had awaited him._

_ Itachi had sold out Jiraiya to Pein._

* * *

Sakura knocked tentatively at the door before pushing it open. Naruto was already seated, pushing buttons through the holes on his shirt. Blue eyes looked up at her before a smile was offered to her. Her relived smile was enough for Naruto apparently.

"I think you should probably rest some more Naruto. Take a med nin's words for this."

Naruto buttoned the last before jumping off the bed to reach for the coat. "Sorry sakura-chan but there are things to be done. And my room hasn't been leaned for a month now!"

Sakura's nose scrunched up unconsciously at the reminder of Naruto's room. "Oh I'm going to get out of the tower when you open that door."

Naruto's laugh was bright as it usually was, and sakura didn't want to see or think otherwise. She knew that Kakashi and Sasuke were both wary of Naruto, she had seen it every time they had met up. But she knew that Naruto had something inside him that was the same young boy she had met years ago. She would go through hell than let anyone judge Naruto again. The only one allowed to hit and tease Naruto was team seven; only their family. Even if Naruto turned his back on them, sakura would make sure they would follow him to bring him back.

"Thank you sakura-chan!"

Sakura smiled and waved as she watched Naruto walk away. Sakura would protect team seven; this time for sure.

* * *

_Naruto felt Kyuubi again two months after jiraiya's death. He felt the demon's presence when he walked away from what had been a safe house of Akatsuki members. The one he had wanted to meet wasn't there, but hidan and kakuzu provided enough entertainment. _

_Kyuubi couldn't see what was happening, but apparently he could sense everything. Maybe he smelled the blood and death that clung to Naruto's clothes and skin, or he could feel the satisfaction he had after the massacre of the safe house. But all Kyuubi had said was "You have done well."_

* * *

A/N: Reviews are very much appreciated! I'm sorry it's slow in update!


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